Opmars 1940 - 1945

Editor: This is *Opmars*, a photomontage, a gelatin-silver print made anonymously between 1940 and 1945, now held at the Rijksmuseum. It looks like a photo album page. It's mostly in grayscale, giving a really somber mood. What do you see in this work? Curator: What immediately strikes me is how this album format reframes notions of collective memory and wartime experiences. The artist utilizes photomontage in such a poignant way; the composition choices disrupt traditional historical narratives by presenting fractured perspectives. Notice the recurring imagery; how are vehicles positioned in the scenes? Editor: They're… either broken down or driving towards something… an event perhaps? Curator: Precisely. And what do these potentially destructive yet ubiquitous technologies imply about power, gender and identity within wartime society? Consider that anonymity itself could be an active statement, a commentary, especially amidst a conflict demanding so much visibility and control. How do you see these individual pieces forming a collective whole and, perhaps, conveying meaning? Editor: Maybe each photo captures a fragmented experience of people involved in or affected by the conflict? It is the uncelebrated experiences, making it a statement against dominant wartime narratives. Curator: Indeed. It serves as a stark reminder to resist simple narratives and explore how power and societal structures influence individual experiences during upheaval. What will you carry from our conversation today? Editor: I will consider how even personal and anonymized collections like this provide really crucial insight into people's experiences during large historical events.