Photography: Ruud Balk, Peter van Casteren, Erosie, Alphons Janssen, John Körmeling, Toos Nijssen, Dagmar Thieme, Alice Wielinga
Text: Alphons Janssen, Willem Jan Renders, Eric Boselie, Jos op ’t Veld, Petra Cardinaal, Ruud Balk
Design: Peter van Casteren
2007
Book of the month December 2022
“1 year 12 months 52 weeks 365 days 8760 hours. Eindhoven was viewed, tasted, smelled, felt, but above all photographed. Day in and day out, eight days a week. Eight chroniclers enthusiastically took on this rewarding task. One for each day of the week. And one because of vacation and sick, weak and nauseous. Every day of the year 2006 was recorded at their time of day. Completely free but within the municipal boundaries of Eindhoven. In pre-arranged order. The city captured day by day, 365 days, in this book.”
At the initiative of Ruud Balk, Peter van Casteren and Alphons Janssen, a photo book about Eindhoven was made with 8 participants. One photo every day for a year. A conscious choice was made for completely different makers. Not all of them photographers, but makers with their own visual interest. Different interests and approaches resulted in a multitude of subjects and styles. There are photos that give an impression of the city, but also many photos that could have been taken anywhere.
“A book with photos is not yet a photo book”, a fair comment by Alphons Janssen. That requires a conceptual approach. The initiators chose to mix the photos of all participants, by determining in advance who would be responsible for which day. The names of the makers are not listed under the photos, nor are the subjects. Only the dates, in color. And that color is linked to the maker. At the back is a list of the photos per maker, by date.
This concept therefore consciously opted for an incoherent whole. At the back of the book it says: “All coherence in this book is due to the bookbinder (Wiet van Broeckhoven).”
Petra Cardinaal, who had just started as gallerist of Galerie Pennings, wrote in the foreword: “… We are, often without realizing it, inundated with gigantic amounts of images.
Through the newspaper, computer, TV or on the street. And the pace at which all this is happening is only increasing. Eight people come together at that frantic speed. They decide to divide the year 2006 and promise to record Eindhoven in a photographic image according to their own vision and emotion for a whole year according to schedule. The result is surprising. No clear chain of events, although not lacking. More like a treasure hunt through the city where people mainly play a role. People who have their own habits and live next to each other in Eindhoven. Seen through the eyes of others. Images in which seasons, roads, buildings, nature and changes are captured. In images that force you to look closer. Photos that want to communicate with you. Whose is that photo? Where and why taken?
The freedom that each participant has been given is used broadly. No discussion here whether it concerns documentary, journalistic, autonomous or portrait photography. In this book, various forms go hand in hand, the images reinforce each other and together form a unique image of Eindhoven. So in this hectic time the clock is stopped for a while. We reflect on what is and will never be again. And isn't that the primary raison d'être of photography: capturing? As far as I'm concerned, preferably with emotion. (...)”
The amount of images has only increased since the camera function on our mobile phone…
As a result of this book, the marketing department of the municipality of Eindhoven changed its name to Eindhoven365.
The book is in the Pennings Foundation library.
Thursday, December, 15 2022: Artist Talk by Ruud Balk.
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