Duikkaart Possibly 1945

Editor: This is a "Duikkaart," or "Diving Card," possibly from 1945. It seems to be made of paper, a kind of ID issued by the "Landelijke Organisatie voor Hulp aan Onderduikers." The card’s filled out with handwritten information... there’s something haunting about seeing this fragile, historical document. How do you interpret this work, and what visual symbols stand out to you? Curator: It is haunting, isn’t it? The "Diving Card," as you say, immediately conjures potent symbolism. The verb "diving" suggests submerging, concealing oneself. Look how the organization's seal partially obscures the card's corner—is that accidental, or is it indicative of secrets, something partly hidden? The handwritten details – a name, a birthdate, a location – all things that would ground someone to an identity, are also tragically ephemeral on such a fragile document. Editor: That's insightful! The idea of "submerging" truly adds another layer to the emotional weight. I hadn't considered how the seal’s placement obscures meaning as much as confirms it. Curator: Precisely! These are documents created under duress, steeped in fear, where names become dangerous. Consider, too, how paper itself serves as a symbolic medium—easily destroyed, yet carrying profound information. Can you think of what psychological impact it would make? Editor: The very real fear that everything you are could be burned to ashes! The act of documenting creates a terrible tension. On one hand it serves the basic need to identify a person; but on the other, it marks someone as other. I now read the ID card as an object freighted with terrible existential risk. Curator: A beautiful synthesis of observation, thinking and feeling! Indeed, such documents allow us to connect intimately with the past. The "Duikkaart," isn’t just an artifact; it's a symbol of resistance, fear, and the enduring human will to survive.