During the opening of The Dream Vehicle exhibition, I spoke with a visitor about the beautiful content of the book of ‘The Dream Vehicle’. Many of the images were made in the Benelux, in small villages as we all know them in Belgium and the north of France.
We agreed that there is often a curious atmosphere in these villages, which is also reflected in the images. It made the visitor feel somewhat uncomfortable.
A day later I was wondering if that is necessarily a bad thing. We live in a time where we all want to be happy; want to do all the fun stuff and above all, just want to enjoy ourselves. But is that really what life is about? How relevant is it really to be 'happy'? Isn’t life merely a succession of ups and downs, in which we seek support from those with whom we feel most connected. And in which, I grand you, we also prefer to share the beautiful and intimate moments.
The duo WitkowskaVerbunt has captured precisely this aspect of interrelational dynamics in a fabulous way. They point us to the intense intimacy that can exist between people, but also the loneliness that can exist within relationships. Maybe uncomfortable at times, yes. But also, a beautiful intimate document of the real values in life. With that the book truly is a wonderful document of love.
What are your views on this? Are you also just looking for happiness in life or do you accept life as it comes, supported by your soul mate? We can discuss these matters at our Saturday Art Drinks!