Florian Braakman

Residence period: March-April-May 2019

March 2019

As an artist whose medium is photography and having grown up in a small village himself, Florian has begun to investigate Blanca’s youth culture in the first month of his residency. By developing a personal relationship with some members of the town’s youth community and, owing to the welcoming and open attitude of this group, he was able to observe closely their day to day lives, using photography as a tool of showing this proximity to the people he engages with. The photographs taken during their shared time investigate the group’s position in the town. Through the work Florian reflects on the lives and future opportunities of the youth of Blanca, shaped by the circumstances of growing up in a small and relatively isolated place.

The photographs capture a fragile state, the coming of age, a phase of transition in which young people are building a façade with which to hide their vulnerabilities. Through the way these youngsters present themselves in the public space and within the group, a discernible male ideal is being outlined. The identification with this ideal, shaped by local and popular culture and drawing on elements of hypermasculinity and practices of beautification, is accompanied by a playful childishness still discoverable in some gestures.

April 2019

While last month Florian was presenting photographs taken of the Blanca youth which were the result of his process of engaging with them to gain a deeper insight into their daily lives, this month he is experimenting with different mediums to create an impression of the village. At the open studio he displays a video of calm shots of the river in contrast with a vivid soundscape with the elements of the Blanca social life. Through this opposition we can discover the contradictions inherent in a small town lifestyle: the beauty of nature and the slow pace of life surrounding the village is in conflict with the need to break out of the limitations of these somewhat isolating conditions.

May 2019

At the end of his third month of residency, the two projects presented by Florian in March and April are adjoined.

On the one hand, the artist presents his photographs exploring the youth of Blanca in the format of a ‘picture movie’, a projection that arranges the series into the shape of a narrative. The sequence captures the fragile state of coming of age, investigating the youngsters’ position in the town.

On the other hand, a video of the river and the soundscape of Blanca evoke the atmosphere of the town, the soundscape giving a more contextual layer to the work.

Through the dialogue between the presented pieces we can discover the contradictions inherent in a small town lifestyle: the beauty of nature and the slow pace of life surrounding the village is in conflict with the need to break out of the limitations of these somewhat isolating conditions.