Mapping Traces
A paint palette turns into a mountainscape, a row of books reminds us of facades of houses and an ordinary coffee cup looks like a museum piece.
At first sight Annegien van Doorn focuses on meaningless details. A scissor secured with a padlock, a pair of funnels in the windowsill and a folder which seems to become part of the wall plinth. In the seven different locations of Avans Hogeschool Annegien van Doorn searched for traces that the staff and students have left behind. She examined the way they make use of the space and how they put it to their hands. Striking is the absence of masses of students. The people who already occurred in the picture are often frozen, they are like dolls or sculptures in space. Despite their physical absence the photos tell the story of the staff and students of Avans. The images breathe their presence and simultaneously they expose the different characters of the academies.
Through the manner the images are captured objects seem to become alive. Sometimes these objects even seem to reveal human traits. Meanwhile people, who sporadically occur in her work, seem to adopt the shape of objects. Fascinated by the humanization of objects and objectification of people, Annegien van Doorn turns life into still life. The result is not so much a portrait of places, but a study of the way the users interact with these.
Excerpt from the book: Avans 200 / Le Grand Tour 1812-2012
Designed by ATTAK • Powergestaltung
Commissioned by Avans Hogeschool
