Graduation project at the Photoacademy Amsterdam, december 2010
 | In the beginning of 2010 I read a book by Dutch writer/philosopher Joke Hermsen called 'Stil de tijd - pleidooi voor een langzame toekomst' with essays about time (roughly translates to ‘Still the time - plea for a slow future’). In one of the essays she writes about German philosopher Ernst Bloch (1885-1977). He wondered what motivates people in life. Briefly summarized he said people strive for Utopia, which we will never reach, but pursuing it is what life is about, what makes us go, what makes us move forward. And although we never reach it, every now and then we can catch a glimpse of this Utopia, for instance when we hear music, relive a memory, smell something, are in love, are in ‘a flow’. At these moments we forget all about linear time but experience time in our own, personal way. At these moments, he claims, we can experience true happiness, therefore we have to aim for these moments. So Bloch said 'Carpe aeternitatum in momenti' or 'seize eternity in the moment'. When I read this, I realized I’ve been trying to do this for years, I only had not found the words to describe it yet. My graduation project consists of three parts, each with a different experience of time and a different way to explore this theme. I presented these elements as a whole at the exhibition ExtraVers2010 in De Overkant in Amsterdam in December 2010. |
One part consists of a composition of photographs in which I try to capture the 'eternal moment'. The photographs are all taken with analogue cameras, to make me a slower and more aware photographer |  |  |  |  |  |
One part consists of 'photo-films' in which I try to find tranquility and resignation. These are played on 8" digital photo frames that are jointly presented. |  |
The other part consists of 'diaries'. Since 2003 I (try to) take a photo every day (‘day-photo’), from something I see/do/experience/feel/encounter. I do this to train myself in looking and staying aware, also in my daily, familiar environment such as my house, in my street, in my supermarket. For my graduation I had books made of these photos ('diaries') that I presented on a bookshelf. Every six months in one book of 15x15cm with one photo + date on every page. On the right the bookshelf with the 'diaries' (with enough room left for the rest of my life). The second image is a collection of ‘day-photos’ from the first half of 2010. Btw: the day-photos is a continuous project, I still make them (and the books). |  |  |