Fotoalbum met foto's van Frank van den Berg als baby

This is Hendrik Herman van den Berg’s ‘Fotoalbum met foto's van Frank van den Berg als baby’, which is made out of paper. When I look at this piece, I get a sense of something that has a past, but maybe also something hidden. It’s quiet, you know? The design is quite simple; it has these wavy art nouveau details that are a bit like someone trying to remember a dream. The texture of the paper itself feels like it wants to tell a story, almost like the grain in a piece of wood. That small vignette – a ship at sea – it reminds me of things that are just out of reach. The grey colour creates a mood too; it isn’t sad exactly, but there's a sense of thoughtfulness, like an old memory. Thinking of other artists, it makes me think of Agnes Martin, in the sense that it is minimal but full. It’s like it wants to say something without saying too much.