Phantasmopolis

Wanderwelle, Wanderers (2024), giclée print, (44 x 66,1 cm), courtesy the artists

Phantasmopolis is a series of haunting photomontages, accompanied by a video work, constructed from archival photographs sourced from the Amsterdam City Archives. The exhibition centers on phantoms, apparitions, and ghosts, brought to life through a blend of visual and historical techniques. These specters appear to operate in a shadowy realm where the ordinary meets the inexplicable, inviting us to reflect on the hidden forces that shape their existence – and perhaps our own.

Rooted in the tradition of Dadaist and Surrealist photomontage, Wanderwelle draws inspiration from artists like Man Ray (1890-1976) and Dora Maar (1907-1997). These artists used the fragmentation and reassembly of images to create new, provocative meanings.
Wanderwelle extends these techniques into the 21st century, blending them with the eerie aesthetics of Victorian spirit photography—a form used in the late 19th century to capture supposed ghostly presences. This fusion results in an atmospheric exploration of the hidden, haunted layers of Amsterdam’s past.

At the heart of Phantasmopolis is the idea of genius loci, referring to the unique soul of a place, shaped by its history and the people who have inhabited it. In this exhibition, the ‘phantasms’ transcend traditional ghost stories, symbolizing forgotten histories and enduring memories that continue to influence the spaces they haunt. Wanderwelle views cities as palimpsests, layered with traces of human experience—each generation building upon the remnants of those before, never fully erasing what came before. The artists’ method of combining and altering archival material embodies their sedimented approach to history.

Wanderwelle’s work invites viewers to reconsider the city not merely as a physical space but as a living repository of hidden stories and forgotten voices. This dialogue between the seen and the unseen, the remembered and the forgotten, reflects how history continually shapes the city of today. It prompts viewers to ask: What stories have been lost, erased, or overlooked? What echoes of the past continue to influence how we experience the city today? Through these ghostly photomontages, Wanderwelle challenges us to recognize that we are always living among the phantoms of history, whether we see them or not.

Amsterdam City Archives
13.12.24 / 16.02.25