Art Office

The two photographers conducted a visual dialogue close to homein Rotterdam Kralingen and IJsselmonde. al fphotographing they explained in the middle of corona time contact with passers-by on the street and the environment. It became the project Contact that resulted in a publication and an exhibition in the Belvedere Story House on Katendrecht.

Rafaël philippines learned marijn de Young know when he invited him to a project by his Image Mix Foundation in which he connects old and young photographers. There was a good click between the two photographers. De Jong told Philippen about his idea to take to the streets, to photograph in the area and to have conversations with passers-by on the street. Philippe: 'Still quite special, the whole world is De Jong's source of inspiration, I have that too.' 's photos philippines are in color, full of visually stimulating finds and digital. 's photos De Jong are black and white, are intimate and introverted. De Jong: 'There is silence in it. Of course this is also possible with color photos, but it intuitively feels good to work with black and white.'

De Jong: 'I've had the idea of ​​photographing my own environment for some time, to capture what I see, the people I meet to portray.' Philippen and De Jong decided together to go working. Weekly ging them out, at least once, sometimes more often. While talking they took each other along in their own view and by their own neighborhood. De Jong: 'Rafaël is very happy, it's his motto too. He emphasizes the beauty and the positive. I'm more melancholic myself, I show easier the dark side of existence. I visit for example, people who have become homeless, and who now illegal survive in the park. It is easy to get stuck, partly thanks to sky-high house prices, for example. I took Rafaël to them. But unfortunately they didn't want to be in the picture. Understandable of course. But we talked a lot about such things, during our walks.'

Has your work become an image of the times?
Philippe: 'Because of corona there was more silence than usual, that's also in our work. I've never had a period like this in experienced my life, nobody of course. We wanted to walk at the Kralingse Puddle, but everything was cordoned off. Walking was no longer allowed during that first lockdown. But I explained that we are photographers and we had to earn our money. Then we became happy still passed.' the young: 'I am not concerned with the zeitgeist I record my experiences and the contact with my environment. I look around me and I want to share what I feel and see. That is of all times. I strive for a timeless image.'

The photographers were on the street, camera and tripods ready. There was no rush, they took their time for what was about to happen. De Young:'We didn't look at the clockwe waited to see what would happen that was the right one mindset for our work. The people we met sometimes came to us out of curiosity, greenabout their daily lives. we mettand a boy who went to the hairdresser, very natural because it hadn't been possible for a long time. Rafaël made a before-photo in color, I photographed the boy when his hair was cut, in black-with.'

How important was the opportunity to a PPR contribution to request for your project?
philippines: 'When Rutte said that everything was closed, all orders stopped. The PPR scheme offered hope. Because we suddenly had time, Marijn and I were able to do this project. We lived close each other, that's how we escaped the madness of corona. PPR gave energy, it felt like confetti. You worry about money, mortgages and then there are people, organizations that help you. That feels like a warm bath. The work funded by the PPR scheme should really all be on display. '

De Jong: 'The PPR contribution was a relief. You have to earn your money, so there is little left time and energy left om free work to make. moments of timelessness are critical to making what you want to make. The low-threshold nature of the scheme was very pleasant. I write regularly grant applications, hit's almost a full timejob. If many projects are subsidized with few requirements, a large part of those projects may fail. That's a waste. But it does mean that there are projects that turn out to be worth all the effort. That waste is necessary for beautiful things to get moving and to blossom. In pprojects that initially 'failed' can later develop into valuable work. If you leave that to the market, happens er did nots. The city should carry people who make art. It would be a good idea if a low-threshold subsidy round were to take place twice a year.' 

Temporary work contribution PPR
Om to help artists during the corona lockdowns to keep their professional practice up CBK Rotterdam launched the Temporary Work Contribution Production, Presentation and Research (PPR) for visual artists who are registered with CBK Rotterdam. Divided into two rounds in 2020 and 2021, eventually received almost two hundred artists a contribution. The result of the temporary work contribution is bundled in a magazine in which we, together with a few artists, look back and look forward. This is one of fifteen interviews from the magazine.

Text: Machteld Leij
Photos: Mark Bolk