De eerste zaal van het Hospitaal Batak Instituut te Kaban Djahe (box-systeem) 1928

This black and white photograph, taken on 9-2-1928 by the Hospitaal Batak Instituut, shows the first hall of their building in Kaban Djahe. I find myself wondering about the person behind the camera, and the patients. I imagine them carefully setting up their equipment, hoping to capture the space, the light, and the mood of the space. The linear repetition of architectural beams leads to the receding point of space at the back, the light, muted and calm. What might it have felt like to be there? I think of the artist, perhaps trying to bring out the human element to the photograph with a limited tonal range. The simple geometry of the architectural forms, the crisp lines and smooth textures, offer a feeling of calmness. In photography, like painting, the artist's hand is less visible. The photographic image exists as a testament to a place and time. I imagine the photographer, and all artists, are in an ongoing exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity.