© Hanne Van Assche from the series "Lucky"
Tell us about the project “Lucky” selected for the Urbanautica Institute Awards? What is the motivation and the theme you addressed?
Hanne Van Assche (HVA): “Lucky” is about a small diamond mine city in the far east of Russia. It exists exclusively thanks to the discovery of diamonds. The company in charge of the diamond mines, Alrosa, exports heavily to Antwerp, Belgium. I am interested in the lives of the mineworkers and undertook a photographic project about the the existence in the town Udačnyj. Udačnyj translated means ‘lucky’. This remote town is surrounded by hundreds of kilometers of Taiga and its inhabitants experience an extremely harsh climate. Winter reigns nine months of the year. Every single person in this monotown is connected through the presence of the diamond mine. The theme I wanted to address is how an isolated community works.
© Hanne Van Assche from the series "Lucky"
© Hanne Van Assche from the series "Lucky"
© Hanne Van Assche from the series "Lucky"
On your approach to photography in general. How did it all start? What are your memories of your first shots? How did it evolve from the early days?
HVA: I was sixteen when I first bought my own camera, when I was little my aunt and father always took photographs and filmed everything when we went on a holiday. There was the first seed planted and when I was a teenager I searched for a expressing myself. It then evolve into my passion and I decided to study photography in highschool. I learned the technical skills and from there I tried to evolve my practice as an photographer. / visual artist. Portrait and documentary photography excited me the most from the start and still is my main interest.
What about your educational path? Did it have any impact on you? Any lessons learned?
HVA: I’ve done my bachelor in Luca School of Arts in Brussels and my master in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent. Both educations had a huge impact on me. In my bachelors I learned a lot of techniques which was neccesary and in my master I evolved my own language, style. In that sense, they followed each other perfectly.
What are the themes that interest you, what generally attracts your observation? How do you envision or conceptualize the projects?
HVA: The themes that interest me most are social relevant themes. I am especially intrigued by communities that live or have arisen atypically. People have a central position in my work.
© Hanne Van Assche from the series "Lucky"
How do you envision or conceptualize the projects?
HVA: This is different for every project, but that starting point as a interest in people in particular or a community or a city. Then I do my research and try to conceptualize the project, often the conceptualize also goes further in making the project. Because things happen along the way. I use a 5D mark IV camera from Canon. I always use fixed lenses, with this I have full control. If I want to get closer to my subject, I take a physical step. This makes me think a lot more about my frame.
Does research play any significant role in your practice? Do you dialogue with other experts when developing your work?
HVA: Yes, I always start a project with a proper research. That’s where it all starts, for my project “Lucky” in particular I did quite some research and took Russian language courses. I found it important that with the basic Russian I could address the people in their own language. I also think it’s very important to get feedback when your work is in progress. Other people often see things that you don’t. So I try to show my work to a lot of other photographers/artists.
What are the practical difficulties you faced in its development?
HVA: I studied Russian language for half a year so I would be able to explain myself in their language. I think it’s important to make the right impression, it shows that I was interested in their history and land in general. When I was in Udachny, sometimes I could express myself in the way I can in English or Dutch. So this was a practical difficulty, but luckily the nice students helped me to improve my Russian. The second time I went to Udachny, it was extremely cold ( -35 degrees). So it was very hard to photograph outside, luckily my camera survived. I needed more batteries because they couldn’t handle the cold very well. I prepared my journeys very closely, so I got enough clothes for me and some protection for my camera against this extreme temperatures.
© Hanne Van Assche from the series "Lucky"
The scenario in which photography is presented and discussed have changed considerably in recent years with the spread of ICT and the digital world. How do you relate to social networks and this expanded field of photography? How do you cope with the challenges of the profession?
HVA: I think it is a very nice tool to spread my work worldwide. Certainly Instagram, that’s a very good tool for photographers. But I don’t want to use social network as part of my practise, I use it to spread my portfolio. For me, it works to have a halftime job (that i love) and that is also in the art industry. I have a financial basis and then besides I also do assignments. That way I can invest money and enough time in my own projects. It is still hard sometimes to find a balance in it, but that’s for everybody i think. Showing my work, in exhibitions or publications is very important. Mostly to get your work out in the world, to get noticed as a photographer. When I’m making a long term project, you often are the only to see it or ofcourse the other people you get feedback from. So it’s very important once the project is done to show it to other people.
© Hanne Van Assche from the series "Lucky"
© Hanne Van Assche from the series "Lucky"
© Hanne Van Assche from the series "Lucky"
Who or what does influence your work in particular?Is there any contemporary artist, photographer or writer you’d like to quote or mention?
HVA: Alec Soth is a big inspiration to my work, I love the way he portraits people. There is a lot of poetic in his work, I also admire his work ethics.
Do you have any projects in the pipeline?
HVA: I want to keep making long term projects. I like the way they evolve through time and the process of making something new. I am working on a new project since one year. The project is about a neighborhood in Antwerp, Belgium. It is located next to a large recycling plant called Umicore. Due to the high levels of lead in the blood of children living in the area, it was decided to buy the houses and transform them into a buffer. The forest must stop some of the pollution in the future. More 200 houses will disappear from this neighborhood, Fred Libert (writer) and I (photographer) document this transition. We are working on it until the buffer zone is complete.
Any interesting books that you recommend and that recently inspired you and why?
HVA: It was not a book, but an exposition in Fomu Antwerp. The exhibition is called Santa Barbara from Diane Markosian (Moscow, 1989). Markosian tells the story of her family, and how they immigrated from the Sovjet Union to America. She takes an intimate approach to her photography and video storytelling, in work that is both conceptual and documentary. I really loved how she starts from her own story and how she combines short film with archival images and photography.
© Hanne Van Assche from the series "Lucky"
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