21 november 2023, Flor Linckens
Hans Wilschut: urban perspectives in large format
Until 9 December, Galerie van den Berge in Goes is presenting a solo exhibition with work by Hans Wilschut, featuring photography and two video works. This Dutch photographer is a master in large-format photography, delving into both well-known and lesser-known urban and industrial landscapes. With his expansive and serene images, he seeks to uncover something hidden beneath the surface — something vulnerable, complex, or imperfect. His striking images provoke questions in the viewer, compelling them to engage with their own living environment.
Wilschut initially pursued painting at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam but shifted gears after a year. Yet, his painterly perspective is still evident in his photography. Wilschut's works often result from extensive research and meticulous planning, always in search of the perfect perspective and light conditions. These unique vantage points are sometimes achieved using aerial platforms and even helicopters, granting him considerable freedom.
In his photography, Wilschut delves into themes like globalization, migration, trauma, climate change, tourism, representation, industry, urbanization, and the world economy. He undertakes regular, extensive travels with his technical camera to capture global cities like Lagos, Hong Kong, São Paulo, Nanjing, and Johannesburg, as well as the Rotterdam harbor at dusk and the infamous "Gomorrah" district in Naples. In 2021, the Kunsthal in Rotterdam featured a series by him spotlighting the small Austrian village of Hallstatt, overwhelmed by tourists following rumors that it was the inspiration for Arendelle, from Disney's Frozen.
Another notable work in the exhibition is a building in São Paulo in which each resident has their own swimming pool, a stark symbol of excessive luxury and social inequality, especially considering its proximity to the Paraisópolis favela. But there's also an unsettling aspect to the image upon closer inspection: something just isn't right about it.
The exhibition also includes work from the 'Atlantis of Galicia' series, referring to the Spanish village of Aceredo that submerged in 1992 due to the creation of the Alto Lindoso reservoir by a Portuguese hydroelectric plant. Ongoing droughts due to climate change have partially re-exposed the village, illustrating a systemic issue exacerbated by local political decisions. Wilschut is captivated by the desolate and dystopian nature of the area and what it represents.
Wilschut's work has been exhibited extensively worldwide and is included in collections at the Rijksmuseum, the Dutch Photo Museum, Musée d’Elysee in Lausanne, the Centraal Museum, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, and the Fries Museum. His debut film 'La Nave' won him an award at the Masterdoc festival in Los Angeles.
