99 CFA
99 CFA (2014)
During my first stay in Saint-Louis du SĆ©nĆ©gal in 2013, the small shops on every street corner impressed me. In 2014, I returned with the intention to photograph these spaces. They are full to the brim with items necessary for survival. Those goods can be purchased in small quantities for a few West African CFA francs, for instance one egg or a handful of sugar or flour. Goods that would be considered luxurious in most European countries are rare, despite global brands pushing into this market. Fresh food is mostly sold on markets, the small shops deal in dry, canned or otherwise preserved food. Although the shops vary in size and shape, their spatial organisation reflects the possible interactions and trades. More often than not, physical barriers demonstrate the shopkeepersā attitude toward customers. The style of these barriers ranges from an open counter to intimidating grills with a small opening. Both items for sale and their display provide visual clues about the cityās social environment.
In Europe and in many of the wealthier countries, the supermarket has all but pushed out the small local stores, either resulting in or caused by different urban structures and different interactions between people as consumers and as citizens.
It is not clear what has been gained and what has been lost in that transition.
Goat Protection
Goat Protection (2013)
Improvised devices made from empty bags of imported Chinese rice, plastic floor mats and other useful leftovers protect young trees along river Senegal in Saint-Louis du SĆ©negal. I like both their sculptural qualities and apparent fragility.
All You Need Is a Red Bicycle
All You Need Is A Red Bicycle (2014)
āPictures should look like they were easily taken. Otherwise beauty in the world is made to seem elusive and rare, which it is not.ā ā Robert Adams (1975)
Having lived in a city for the last few years, an extended stay in rural Finland became an opportunity to rediscover the joy of exploring pastoral surroundings on a bicycle. Although neither new nor fancy, the bicycle was red! On the red bicycle I felt like a ten-year old adventurer on an expedition into both familiar and uncharted territories. I did not need high-tech gear to savour the transition from winter to spring in the forests and around the lakes near HaukijƤrvi, Finland. Only my curiosity determined what was a cyclable path and what wasnāt.
In HaukijƤrvi, Finland, it occurred to me that exploring the neighbourhood on a plain bicycle, just cycling on all kinds of available trails, was actually making me happy. I progressed at a speed that still allowed time to appreciate the visual treats the territory had to offer. I thought about what made this experience so valuable. I concluded that enjoying the almost childish simplicity of the endeavour, appreciating little things and non-spectacular beauty is something that most adults tend forget due to the strains of daily life.
Le Grand Marabout
Le Grand Marabout (2013)
In Senegal, one of the most religious countries in the world, the marabout shapes society from the realm of the neighbourhood up to national level. This series portraits the neighbourhood marabout as a Koranic teacher, mediator, and sometimes as a spiritual guide with esoteric powers.
The Senegalese government does not pay for religious education, making the marabouts rely on donations. Sometimes the community provides these funds, yet more often the talibe, the Koranic students, have to gather daily contributions for tuition and board. Although laws against forced begging exist, attempts to regulate the Daaras, the Koranic schools, have so far been unsuccessful. As no minimal set of either educational or hygienic standards is in place, the situation of the talibe depends entirely on the maraboutās goodwill.
The marabout system facilitates Sufism among the very young. Islam is seen as an overriding guiding principle, and all the marabouts I met were keen to present their effort as a way to create a peaceful framework for society.
Some Senegalese marabouts have gained national reputation and great wealth. āLe Grand Maraboutā gives a face to the unknown local marabouts, who create, maintain and control a community, who constantly have to balance their own desire for prosperity with the ethical canon of Islam. They are keenly aware of the power of photography, as images of past great marabouts are worshipped as icons in Senegal. The portraits in the series reflect the stature required for this role within the spiritual framework. At the same time they offer a glimpse at the reality of the maraboutās field of influence.
Postcards from Ameryka
Postcards from Ameryka (2012)
In 2012, I decided to visit 15 places called Amerika, AmerickĆ” or Ameryka in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Czech Republic.The name and history of the Amerykas speak of homesteading and yearning for a better future, of success and failed dreams, of hardship and the pursuit of happiness. The first immigrants arrived in places now known as Ameryka after the late 18th century, when political reforms made land ownership possible for serfs and leaseholders. Unclaimed land was only available in remote and barren areas. Settlers accepting the challenges compared themselves to the pioneers of the US American prairies. Ameryka signified remoteness and possibilities. Success was hard to achieve, and in many communities workers emigrated to the US. The residents who stayed behind called their villages Ameryka, thus arriving instantly at the destination of their dreams.
By repeating photographs of the villages that might only share their name with America, I wish to find out whether the history of these places, the common desires, needs and fears of their inhabitants are still visible.
