The Chain IV & V
The initiative for the first Chain was taken by the USVA Photo Gallery in 1992, and was followed by The Chain II & III in 1995 in the newly named USVA Noorderlicht Photo Gallery. In connection with the fifth edition of the Noorderlicht Photofestival, two new, presently international Chains have been formed.
A Chain consists of a series of photographs where each photographer forms a link with one photograph. The first photographer is asked to select a photograph from his or her oeuvre, which forms the start of The Chain. Subsequently, he or she chooses the next photographer and invites him or her to react on the chosen photograph. This photographer freely combines his or her own image and passes it on to a next photographer, and so forth. Participants know but the names of their predecessor and successor, and within the final sequence they only know their own photograph and that of their predecessor.
The fourth and fifth Chain are the first in the history of Noorderlicht that have an international character. Both Chains began in the Netherlands, with photographers Ellen Kooi and Michel Szulc-Krzyzanowski respectively, who had been asked by The Chain’s (IV & V) organisation for this purpose, and consequently went on a long journey.
This book shows the series of free associations of the participating photographers; a journey through different countries, cultures and mentalities, photographic styles and social circuits. Each photograph in the series has its own story, but at the same time acquires a different story in this context, based on associations with the preceding and following image.
Wandering the world both Chains have gained a life of their own, and will continue on their path for time to come.
Ketting IV: Ellen Kooi (NL), Jem Southam (GB), John Webb (S), Helga Bu (N), Lasse Lindkvist (S), Jamie Parslow (N), Carsten Langkilde (DK), Alez Kunes (Czech Republic), Zuzana Oplatek (CH), Maria Hillman (D), Robo Kocan (Slowakije), Yuro Dojc (Canada)…
Ketting V: Michel Szulc-Krzyzanowski (NL), José Azel (USA), Pedro Meyer (USA), Pablo Cabado (Argentinië), Kent Klich (DK), Anders Petersen (S), Nina Korhonen (SF), Joseph Rodriguez (USA), Didier Ruef (CH), Stefan Rother (D), Christoph Lingg (A), Isabelle Simon (F), Alexander Joe (Kenya), Adil Bradlow (Zuid-Afrika), Gary Knight (GB), Greg English (GB)…
The Chains are part of the Noorderlicht 1997 Photofestival and are published in the photobook ‘The Garden of Eden’. More information on this can be found in the festival section.