Vincent de Boer​​​​ at Stroom den Haag

The first time I visited Prague was 36 years ago. I was still a student at the Rietveld Academy and used the city as a great source of inspiration. I photographed towers and ornaments there and was attracted to the romance of decay. The wooden structures built to protect people from falling rubble were like the fixtures for the sculptures in my head.

My memories of Prague were so precious that after the fall of the wall, I avoided the city. I had no desire to see how it had been refurbished and repainted. The opportunity to re-explore Prague through Space-X at length was an invitation I couldn’t resist.

My focus was on the diverse number of monuments in the city. What was left of artworks from the Soviet era and what had replaced them? I wanted to explore the city as much as possible on foot, taking in all my senses.

To my delight, I recognized almost all the ornaments I had photographed in ‘88. Many of them I could still find the exact spot where I had been standing at the time. It made me even more aware of the surface I was standing on. Many of the streets are now paved with small cobblestones. It looks neat but is less telling than the asphalt, in which every repair remains like a scar. 

Another big change is the smell of the city. Back then, the city smelt of coal and sauerkraut; now it smells of sweet waffles and perfume. Also gone are the whispers and gossip. I got to know dozens of Czech colleagues and artists and went exploring in studios, mines and railway yards.

My research into monuments and public artworks were a perfect alibi to stroll unabashedly through the city and photograph everything high and low. I feel more and more at home there, understanding the connections better and hearing what is missing. 

Last November, I was a keynote speaker at the Velvet Debate and got to talk about my experience in Prague and about Stroom Den Haag. 

I wish my Space-X walk would continue indefinitely.

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