WHAT DAVID SEES (voor Nederlands klik hier)
What David sees is a continuation
of Wisdom and Hell, a project of Jaap de Ruig and Art Gallery Maria Chailloux which
was presented at Art Amsterdam 2010. In a darkened room David, a young Romanian gypsy,
was making tin funnels. On the back wall video footage was shown of his situation
at home.
David was very interested in the photographs which were exhibited during
Art Amsterdam. After his return to Romania he received on his own request a small
digital camera. He regularly goes to an Internet cafe to send Jaap de Ruig pictures
of everything he sees in the gypsy quarter where he lives, as well as pictures taken
when he leaves home to sell his funnels.
What David sees has social, historical and
aesthetic dimensions. It is important for the Romanian Roma to capture their own
existence. Photographs are a tool for historical awareness and can be a basis for
self esteem. What is captured today by David may have changed radically in about
twenty years. David and Jaap de Ruig met each other in 1991, when David was nine
and Jaap came to Romania as a photographer. David is now doing the work for him.
Jaap guides him intensely, and selects and arranges the photos. The choice is subjective,
so the final selection will consist of photographs that he himself would have liked
to make. The light and atmosphere are reminiscent of the photographs he made in the
past.
What David sees is now halfway. A rough selection of the first photos could
be seen at the group exhibition In the Hall 5, in the autumn of 2011 at Loods 6 in
Amsterdam. Being a tinsmith David himself made the frames. During the project, which
lasts about eighteen months, he receives an allowance of 150 euros per month, the
Romanian minimum wage. In the end of 2012 Jaap de Ruig would like to organize an
exhibition. At that time a book will be published of around hundred pages.
To finance
the project fifty people are needed who subscribe to one or more copies of the book.
It costs 100 euros per book. Of this amount of money 35 euros are earmarked for the
printing costs and 65 euros for Davids monthly allowance.
The financial settlement
of the contributions is via Romrom Foundation. You can transfer 100 euros (or a multiple
of 100) to ING account 2369386 in the name of Romrom Foundation, Amsterdam. Please
mention your adress, then we can send you a confirmation and inform you of the progress
of What David sees.
Crowd Funding for What David sees has started.
Results so far:
38 people have already
subscribed! Another 12 participations are still possible ...
Group exhibition In the
Hall 5, Loods 6, Amsterdam, September 23 until October 2, 2011
October 1, 2011: Meeting with sponsors of What David sees.