Menigte en feestavond 1929 - 1930

This is a black and white photograph, called ‘Menigte en feestavond’, which translates to ‘Crowd and Feast Evening’ but we don’t know who made it. Looking at it, I’m struck by the way it captures two distinct scenes on a single page – a crowd gathered outdoors and a staged indoor performance. It’s like flipping between channels, or tabs. The outdoor scene feels immediate, almost documentary, with its dense gathering of figures by the water. The figures are built up through tonal variation and photographic grain. Then, below, the theatrical scene, a complete contrast, framed, posed. Both images make me think about image making itself, and the ways in which photographs can capture or construct a reality. The juxtaposition raises questions about authenticity, performance, and how we read images. Think about the work of artists like Gerhard Richter, who engage with photography as a medium and explore its potential for ambiguity and open-endedness. It’s like life, open to multiple interpretations.