For a long time, I have been fascinated by the interaction between the paintings in a museum and the presence of the visitors. While the public eventually would gather in front of a particular work, the portrayed characters of the other paintings located in the room seem to be observing the spectators from their canvas thrones. Being ignored during that very moment, they sometimes even seem to want to mingle with the people. This existing tension inspires me to attempt to melt both planes in one single image. To do this, I take two exposures in one photoframe. In the working process, besides the necessary exposure calculations, I primarily allow my intuition to guide me. Although similar results could be obtained by means of postproduction, having the flexibility of blending layers with maybe greater accuracy, my approach is to pre-plan and think creatively on the fly rather than an afterthought. While I am shooting I feel that my unconscious will mix with the visible reality to find a symbolic meaning, leading to surprising results. I aim to concentrate on what is to be found between the real and fiction, adding a sense of theater that resembles the dramas contained within the paintings on the walls. Doing so, I hope that the transparencies between the two images create a new dimension - a ghostly presence in which past and present intertwine.
