Gezicht op ruïnes aan de Kipstraat te Rotterdam c. 1940 - 1945

J. Nolte made this photograph of ruins on Kipstraat in Rotterdam with what looks like the simplest of tools, maybe a basic camera. Look at the way the light and shadow dance across the skeletal remains of these buildings. You can almost feel the artist's presence, standing there amidst the rubble, trying to make sense of the destruction. What's so moving is how the artist captured the scene, not just as a document, but as a kind of meditation on loss and resilience. It's like Nolte is saying, "Even in the face of total devastation, there's still something beautiful, something worth preserving." You see a glimpse of daily life continuing, a figure walking through the scene with their bicycle. It reminds me that art can be a powerful way to process trauma, to find meaning in the aftermath of tragedy, and, in a way, maybe even help us heal. Nolte’s photograph reminds us of the ability of art to capture and communicate complex human experiences, inviting us to reflect on our own relationships to the past, present, and future.