Working on…

1. In the first edition of this newsletter, you read about me and Boris preparing to showcase Summer in the City during at a one-day artsy event organized by Tiago, the man behind Pirolito. Now that the main event has passed, we’re still riding the momentum and eager to take the project further.

   
   Firstly, a huge thank you! I’m beyond happy with the turnout and the reception. From 10 AM to 9 PM, I barely stopped, but it was worth every moment. The zine sold out in no time, and the energy around exhibition panel No. 10 was as warm as the project’s Summer glow. We are truly grateful for everyone who stopped by, shared kind words, or supported the work in any way.
   
   So, what’s next for Summer in the City? (Not that anyone asked…)

   We want to keep the project going. As the tagline suggests, this project is all about celebrating Amsterdam’s upcoming 750th anniversary. We’d love to find a more permanent home for the work and connect it to the official celebrations making it part of the official agenda.
   If you know of a wall that would be open to hosting Summer in the City, let us know! We’re excited to keep this project alive and shining. ☀️  
   

2. My next installment of the Dialogues series is now pre-published on my Ko-Fi page, and it will eventually see the light of day on my website.
   

3. With this wrapped up, I’m excited to dive into my next item in my queue, a photoshoot I did last year featuring two friends for my Spotlight series.

   
   

   Spotlight is my take on heavily stylized portraiture style, a way to capture my friends in a unique light. But beyond the photos, it’s also an excuse to bring them over, hang out, and turn the session into an experience—part creative endeavor, part social gathering. These shoots always end up being a great time for all of us!

   
   

4. On the long term, no progress has been made on re-scanning my whole negative archive. Item 1 has kept me pretty busy last month!

Book corner

The visual feast within these pages stems from the sheer variety and depth of the photographs presented. Whether you are familiar with Alex Blanco’s work or encountering it for the first time, the book’s intricate structure makes one thing clear: her mind is not simple one!

This is not merely a book; it is an emotionally charged journey.

Do you long for home? (The very place now being razed by an oppressor?)

Do you yearn for the idea of a family that never truly existed?

How does one forge a connection with distant or estranged parents?

Through photography and visual storytelling, Alex Blanco has found a way to explore these deeply personal themes. The book is structured bound like a traditional cookbook, and like so, it could not miss some recipes in between.

If you look close enough, rather than offering conventional step-by-step instructions, the pages reveal something far more intimate: the dialogues that unfolded while these dishes were shared. We become a silent observer, witnessing not just the transmission of culinary knowledge but also the exchange of memories and emotions.

This is a cookbook where skipping straight to the recipes would mean missing its true essence. The interplay of textures and masterful capture of beautiful light, stir in us a desire to experience the atmosphere, scents, and sensations of Odessa firsthand.

If a last thing can be said, is that the book is also ever present with Alex's surreal, yet tender style. Like in her Parenthood series, a personal favorite of mine.

She does not conform to conventional artistic norms; instead, she weaves together tenderness, surrealism, and audacity, creating a visual language that is entirely her own, and makes me hooked to the pages.

I hope it does the same to you!

Due to Ukraine's misfortune and the fact that it's Alex motherland, this project is often traveling to walls that will host it. Be sure to follow her on social media, should there be another event for Meat, Fish and Aubergine Caviar.

Inspiration

This month, I was reminded of a beautifully simple, yet profoundly inspiring interview style. Jesse’s Visual Interviews, a series featured on Bellamy Hunt’s website, also known as Japan Camera Hunter.

The series, led by Jesse Freeman, captivates me so much, first by its simplicity and then by the richness. The premise is what makes it simple: an interview where the photographers respond solely with images. While the questions remain mostly the same, the answers are what make this style so unique. More often than not, the images spark even more questions than they provide answers. And I can’t help but go back, look at the question, look at the answer again and ponder…

My own visual blog draws much inspiration from this approach. While I often add some captions to twist the meaning or to add some humor, at its core, my blog remains a space where the photographs take center stage.

This aspect of photographs taking the center stage to tell a story aligns with what I love most about great photo books and what I look to express in my work. To me, what separates a truly exceptional photo book from the rest, is exactly this ability. It’s when the images alone make you feel something; when the sequence reveals a story, sparks curiosity, or even leaves us questioning what is it that we are ‘reading’.

This kind of visual storytelling is what continues to inspire me, and I hope to bring more of that essence into my own work. I was glad to see a new article of this series published again, as they have been sparse.

That’s it for this month.

If would like to support me and my work, you can do so via Ko-Fi or by purchasing a print from my Etsy store.