#hans eijkelboom

Questioning Identity through Photography

One of the most remarkable shows during the last Arles festival was the  Hans Eijkelboom exhibition. Curated by Erik Kessels, it showcased the early and most recent work of the Dutch artist. In “With My Family” series, the photographer rang at the houses’ bell while husbands were still at work. Eijkelboom, portrayed himself with the children and wife, posing as if he was the head of the household. Strangely, he fits perfectly in every family portrait. 

“In the Newspaper"  series are worth a note as well.  Eijkelboom appeared in the background of news photographs in the local newspaper over ten consecutive days.

The author about "10 Euro Outfits”: ”I bought 32 new outfits for myself, initially once a week, later once a fortnight. The only criterion for my choice was the price: it couldn’t be higher than ± 10 euros.” The outfits were fold underneath each picture in a crystal box and , happily Hans was there taking photos of the visitors of his own show.

I left the exhibition with a big smile on my face.