REGINALD VAN DE VELDE

The artist Reginald Van de Velde was born in Belgium in 1975. His work continuously examines the unknown and the invisible. In exploring far-flung spaces, he has developed a perspective that captures a sense of splendour that has yet to be disturbed by the turbulence of modern society. Reginal Van de Velde is a vagabond, the chronicler of a forgotten magnificence. His photographs, characterised by Lonely Planet as “striking images of long-forgotten structures”, have regularly been shown internationally at the Art & Science Museum (Singapore), the Backlight Photo Festival (Finland), the New York Photo Festival (United States), Somerset House (England) and the Cannes Lions International Festival (France) among others. His work has otherwise received a number of awards, notably at the Siena International Photography Awards (Italy), the Moscow International Foto Awards (Russia) and the Seoul International Photography Festival (South Korea). ... See more See less

Interview

Why photography ?

Our busy and intense lives, with all its chaos, stress and worries, is something I want to run away from. I find peace in nature and abandoned places. Escapism is at the basis of my work and it’s the solitude I want to capture and share through my photographs.

Your inspiration ?

I’m incredibly inspired by the beautiful work of Edward Burtynsky, Nadav Kander and Andreas Gursky. True masters of photography.

What is unique in your photographs ?

My photos depict a parallel world, a world that’s hidden within our world. Most of the time we’re not aware of their existence, yet these places are embedded into our everyday lives.

The context of creation of your new series

Since two years I've been focusing heavily on aerial photography. Seeing the world from a bird’s eye perspective gives you so much more creative freedom. It allows us to create compositions and photos that look like graphic design artworks.

Any anecdote for us ?

Just last week I was doing drone photography in Italy, when a huge storm formed. Winds, thunder and lightning all appeared in a matter of minutes. The moment I landed my drone an enormous tornado unfolded in front of my eyes. This was a very new (and scary) experience.

The picture you would have loved to shoot ?

The end scene of the 1968 movie “Planet of the Apes” shows a collapsed Statue of Liberty half sunken on the seashore. An incredible apocalyptic scene. Would have loved to be on that set during the filming of that peculiar scene and capture that epic moment.

The latest prizes / awards / prides you got ?

- Finalist at the World Water Day Photo contest (Italy) - Finalist at the Kolga Tbilisi Photo Festival (Georgia) - Moscow Foto Awards: two honourable mentions (Russia) - Exhibition at Sala Espositiva Isola d’Elba (Italy) - Exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery (New-Zealand) - Finalist at the World Water Day Photo contest (Italy) - Finalist at the Kolga Tbilisi Photo Festival (Georgia) - Moscow Foto Awards: two honourable mentions (Russia) - Exhibition at Sala Espositiva Isola d’Elba (Italy) - Exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery (New-Zealand)

Your next projects ?

Doing much more photography work in the Northern regions lately. Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland have been amazing trips with great photo opportunities. Next up will probably be even more North, far beyond the Arctic Circle.

Your motto ?

It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.

Any crush on a YK picture ?

I really love artistic cityscapes where the image becomes more abstract and graphic. One photo of Florian Delalee is a perfect example: https://www.yellowkorner.com/en/p/aurora-thousand-lights/56715.html

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REGINALD VAN DE VELDE

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REGINALD VAN DE VELDE