Duitse soldaten op patrouille langs het strand Possibly 1940 - 1949

Here, we see a photograph by Polygoon of German soldiers on patrol along the beach. It's all silhouetted figures and reflections, a real study in contrasts. The whole thing has this kind of ghostly quality. The way the light catches the wet sand, it’s like a mirror reflecting not just the soldiers, but maybe something deeper. It's about the push and pull of dark and light, absence and presence. There is something so haunting about it. The soft greys and whites of the sky in comparison with the jet black figures. This image reminds me a little of Gerhard Richter, actually, in the way it wrestles with history and memory. Art can be about so many things all at once, and still leave space for us to bring our own stuff to it.