New Danish Photography #01
@ Kent Klich. A Tree Called Home. Courtesy of Dansk Dokumentarisme(Danish Documentary)
Text by Emily Ranieri
Disko Bay’s book “New Danish Photography” presents a mesmerizing display of modern photography, highlighting the work of twelve unique artists. Bay offers readers a brilliant showcase of contemporary artists who don’t adhere to traditional marks of photojournalism. The styles exhibited by the artists range from classical to experimental, allowing readers to grasp the full extent of the current photographic world in Denmark, which previously aligned itself with reality-oriented or documentary photography.
@ Luca Berti. Jordfast. Courtesy of Dansk Dokumentarisme(Danish Documentary)
The first artist showcased in “New Danish Photography” is Luca Berti, who presents readers with a stunning array of black-and-white portraiture and landscapes in Jordfast, meaning tethered to Earth. This collection reveals the term through a small island’s ancient agricultural identity. Many have left developed regions to reconnect with nature, while Berti visually demonstrates this return through the dichotomy of modern subjects in an ancient setting. Two young girls are pictured in front of an old well dressed in stylish cotton dresses and pants. Another man is photographed in a vast, barren crop field wearing a quilted jacket with modern hardware and jeans; a young girl is photographed sitting in a pew of an old church. The juxtaposition of contemporary people in a seemingly bygone cultural era represents a deep connection between the past and the present. The landscape ultimately links the photographs in the collection – deserted roads and barren rocky shores unite the geography with the people who once lived there and those who have returned to connect with it.
@ Sofia Busk. Daughters of Nairobi. Courtesy of Dansk Dokumentarisme(Danish Documentary)
@ Sofia Busk. Daughters of Nairobi. Courtesy of Dansk Dokumentarisme(Danish Documentary)
Another powerful collection of photographs is presented by Sophia Busk, a Cophenhagen-based photographer who captures social issues through photojournalism. “New Danish Photography” highlights Busk’s collection Daughters of Nairobi, which shows readers a hidden tragedy spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya. Although sexual assault is unfortunately not a new phenomenon in Nairobi, Busk presented readers with the fact that Kenyan women experienced a 93% increase in sexual violence in 2020. Girls ranging from age ten to eighteen with their children are depicted in the series, all of whom were victims of the “shadow pandemic” in 2020. A breathtakingly dynamic image presents Veronica, a fifteen-year-old mother, with her son in her lap. A white, heavenly light streams through the window, illuminating the faces of the young girl and her 5-month-old son, who was a product of rape. The baby looks up at Veronica as she sits exhausted with vacant eyes, staring out the window. Bay’s book offers further textual insight into these photographs that highlight the brutal realities of these young girls; a quote from Veronica describes how looking at her son is still difficult, as it reminds her of the day she was raped. Daughters of Nairobi brilliantly presents readers with detailed yet beautiful photographs that bring attention to the hidden epidemic within a pandemic, which refuses to perpetuate the idea that motherhood is always joyful, no matter the circumstance.
@ Matilde Søes Rasmussen. Unprofessional. Courtesy of Dansk Dokumentarisme(Danish Documentary)
Matilde Soes Rasmussen uncovers the fashion world from the relatively unknown perspective of a model in her collection, Unprofessional. Cataloging her time as a professional model, the photographer explores the body as a currency for both personal and spectatorial gaze. The photographs explore the intense dichotomies of fashion – beauty and ugliness, elegance and vulgarity. Rasmussen’s intimate eye is documented through various point-of-view shots of looking out the windows of hotels and airplanes; another photograph shows her photographing herself in a mirror without pants or underwear, exploring her gaze toward her body in a world that commodifies it. Many pictures use an intense flash that highly exposes the images, inviting viewers to carefully consider their judgments and gaze.
