Studio DS

Camera Obscura 5

This is my fifth Camera obscura installation. It was located in the former Axa building in Ghent, Belgium from 28/02/2019 to 03/03/2019.

I like the simplicity of a camera obscura. Basically it is just a dark space with a tiny hole in one side where light can enter. All cameras follow this same basic principle. It truly is the primal camera.

Visitors needed to slow down to see the image. Our eyes need at least a couple of minutes to adjust to the darkness inside and to be able to see anything. There’s nothing to see if you are in a hurry. It is truly something wondrous to slowly see the image take form.

I think we underestimate the value of simplicity and the impact of technology on our lives and I hope this very simple installation sparks a discussion about these topics. Being inside the camera obscura, this fragment of artificial night, allows for a different kind of observation of the outside.

Camera Obscura V — 2019; 1/1
50 x 50 cm, print on Canson Velin Museum Rag 250gsm – Matte
View of the inside of the Camera Obscura during construction.
Isometric view of Camera Obscura 5. The camera was large enough for 5 visitors to visit simultaneously. The inside dimensions were approximately 5 x 5 m.
This is a photo of the former AXA building in Ghent, Belgium. It stands tall in the surrounding cityscape, and has many windows reflecting the urban environment. The building's sleek and angular design is striking.
The former Axa building was located at Kortrijksesteenweg 43, Gent, Belgium. The building was demolished by the end of 2019.