I was there
“If you look into history, you can see the future”, Stephan Vanfleteren, Belgian photographer, June 2018.
The cultural and political identity of a society is visible in the everyday, often embodied in clothing or inscribed in the architecture of our surroundings. For me, documenting places reflects the essence of what our community is at certain times.
In my series “I was There”, I embarked on a journey to document the pulse of contemporary German development, travelling from Hanover in 2018 to various cities across Germany and on to Norway, the Czech Republic, Iraq, Iran, France and Poland.
The decisions we make today have a major impact on our future. They are based on values that have quietly evolved – but how weighty are they in the waves of time?
My lens aimed to capture key milestones of the Second World War at the historical sites in order to anchor truths in the landscapes of today.
The spectre of urban landscapes marked by unimaginable destruction is usually only visible in photographs and serves as a chilling reminder. The juxtaposition of ruins and modern life is intended as a testimony to the interweaving of history and at the same time makes it possible to link current fates with them.
But in the midst of the reverberations of history and my attempt to modernise it, I find myself confronted with the disturbing return of human folly. I realise that in the fascist categorisation of identities lies the seed of destruction.
My photo series is an appeal: let us not stand as bystanders, but as custodians of our shared history. If we understand where we are in the annals of history, we have the power to shape a future characterised by harmony and understanding, overcoming the shadows of the past.
”Through my photo series, I underscore the critical importance of peace in our society, emphasizing that understanding our place in history empowers us to shape a future defined by harmony and mutual understanding, transcending the shadows of the past.”
I started this series in 2018, but the photos I sent you were all taken between 2022 and 2024.