Fotoalbum van een reis van Norbert van den Berg naar Italië, Montenegro, Griekenland en Kroatië c. 1930 - 1940

This is a photograph album of a trip to Italy, Montenegro, Greece and Croatia by Norbert van den Berg. The cover’s a greyish expanse, the kind that soaks up light. I imagine Norbert carefully selecting this particular album before his journey, a trusty companion ready to safeguard precious moments. I wonder what sorts of pictures are held inside? Were they carefully arranged, each photograph a deliberate choice in a visual narrative? I imagine him meticulously sticking each image into place, each placement a small act of curation. It’s interesting to consider how photographs and travel interact: it's a practice of capturing light, but also of preserving experiences, and the act of looking becomes a way of holding onto memories. I think that artists work in similar ways: the artist captures light and shadow in their own lives to create something new that can be shared with others. And ultimately that's what art’s all about, isn't it?