The Photo Vault: A journey into Vernacular Photography, Archives and Photobooks

In this episode, we hear from an artist who, according to reliable sources, is BIG IN JAPAN—Dutch artist Chantal Rens. Her lifelong obsession with collecting has shaped her into a collage artist creating surrealist images brimming with fantasy and a hint of desire. What she desires, we’ll uncover in this conversation. A favorite quote: “If people see my work, they get happy”—something rarely said...

Welcome to the Photo Vault, featuring books that inspire you! Today, we’re exploring the work of one of my favorite storytellers in the form of a photo book that uses a lot of vernacular photography—Kurt Tong. Listen to this episode to gain insight into why he values these three bodies of work. Dracula - Bram Stoker  The Haunting of Bly Manor - Mike Flanagan  Philip Pullman - His Dark Material   F...

In this episode, I take you to Singapore, where I attended the Singapore International Photo Festival with the Myanmar Photo Archive. During my time there, I met Roy Ng, a curator at the National Gallery Singapore. Our conversation quickly turned into a deep dive into the evolving cultural landscape of Singapore—how the city-state is positioning itself as a regional cultural hub, the complexities...

In this episode of The Photo Vault, we speak with the wonderfully insightful Chiara Capodici about her experience in the photobook world. From the "mythical times" in Europe 20 years ago to today's bookselling landscape, portfolio reviews, and photobook publishing, Chiara shares her journey and perspectives. Chiara runs Leporello Books in Rome, Italy—a bookshop primarily devoted to...

We all need inspiration, and books can certainly provide it. Today, we explore some wonderfully unusual inspirations from Dutch collage artist Chantal Rens. Her book selections stem from her deep love for animals. Discover more through her descriptions, and see links to the books she discusses below: Mijn lama, Diekman Miep  Counting sheep  Hans van der Meer  erik Kessel - in almost every picture...

Meet Kurt Tong, an award-winning photographer and storyteller who has crafted some of the finest narratives in recent years, blending archival and vernacular photographs with personal storytelling. In our conversation, he gives a very honest account of why he left photojournalism and how to rethink your goals as an artist. Enjoy this conversation! Artist website:   Dear Franklin Book  Krampus:  Fo...

3 Books That Inspire You Today with Chiara Capodici, who runs Leporello Books in Rome. Chiara brings a deeply philosophical approach to photobooks and bookmaking. Tune in to hear about her two current favorite photobooks and her all-time favorite author. She recommends  the following books and authors Tara - Sebastian Bruno    Silence is a gift - Ciro Battiloro   Roberto Calasso   Follow us on Ins...

This episode of The Photo Vault accompanies the latest edition of REVU magazine, titled War & Peace. REVU is the Vernacular Social Club’s print outlet, covering a variety of subjects. Although there is much to say on War & Peace, this episode was not easy to create. We decided to touch on a few aspects of War & Peace in photography and in general. The world at this moment, or perhaps a...

In this episode, you will follow Lukas as he explores the photobook world at Les Rencontres de la Photographie d'Arles, a fantastic photo festival in the south of France that has been running since 1970. Lukas talks to publishers, artists, fair organizers, and bookshop owners about the festival, the book market, and how the photobook has evolved in a festival environment like Arles. We delve...

In this episode of The Photo Vault, we receive book recommendations from the Istanbul-based artist Cemre Yeşil Gönenli. Her book choices are varied and full of emotional connections to her own journey of becoming a photo artist. Listen to her colourful stories of how books can inspire and change your perspectives. Listen also to a previous episode where we talk with Cemre in detail about her pract...

In this Episode of The Photo Vault we are going to explore a very peculiar Vernacular Photo Festival in Italy.  Gu. Pho . Our host Lukas went South to work on an exhibition of the Vernacular Social Club as well as an installation for his new book “ A tiny visual history of the Moustache ”.  Gu. Pho festival, in the wonderful town of Guigla, about 40 minutes south of Bologna, in a magnificently run...

In this episode of The Photo Vault, we discuss with Dutch artist and editor Erik Kessels why it is important to have an opinion and dislike things, as well as why it is most important that young artists get paid. Erik is a prolific book and exhibition maker, known for his narrative creation through appropriated images. Take a look as well at Erik’s website and publishing page to gain a deeper unde...

Follow French editor and artist Thomas Sauvin on his journey from a Chinese language student to the collector and editor of an enormous archive that he continually augments from a dumpsite in Beijing. With his project, Beijing Silvermine, he has produced humorous and intelligent publications over the last 10 years, granting us access to a specific period in time in China. Lukas met Thomas in Paris...

In this episode, we delve into a talk event on Vernacular Photography that took place in November 2023. Our host, Lukas, was one of the speakers and has encapsulated a myriad of ideas, thoughts, and practices surrounding everyday imaging that were presented during the event. The talk was organized by the Eidolon Center in Budapest, a new institution that concentrates on vernacular, archives, and e...

In this episode, we meet Thweep Rittinaphakorn, also known as Ake, in Bangkok, and explore his collection of photographs from Myanmar during the colonial era. Ake is an expert in Myanmar textiles who ventured into collecting photography and released a photobook from a very different background. His collection is fascinating and multi-layered, as he doesn't approach his images from a pictorial...

This episode of The Photo Vault prompts us to question the world around us by examining product packaging, which often reinforces and perpetuates stereotypical norms in various aspects of our lives. Our guest, Annebella Pollen, a professor of Visual and Material Culture, author of numerous books, and an avid collector, delves into some of her projects, interests, and findings.  Discover why a seem...

In this episode, we hear thoughts, ideas, and stories from writer, critic, educator, and artist Lucy Sante. She has a fascinating history and engagement with photography, writing on photography, and collecting. She has turned some of her collections into books and tells us about how she retrieved the photographs that went into titles such as ' Evidence .' She also touches upon subjects s...

In this episode of The Photo Vault, we discuss with artist, photographer, and book publisher Joachim Schmid why he is not a collector but a gatherer. We also delve deep into computer history and Joachim’s first contact with Apple computers, as well as why he likes to create low-quality photobooks, explore Flickr, and engage in gardening. Joachim Schmid is one of the most influential artists workin...

In today's Three Books that inspired you special, we hear Greek curator and writer Natasha Christia talk about the important role of literature in her work and also what inspired her in theoretical writing. Her three recommendations are: Emmanuel Carrère Ariella Azoulay - the civil contract of photography / potential history: unlearning imperialism  Natasha Christia & Lukas Birk, Gülistan...

In this episode, we are meeting with Cemre Yeşil Gönenli , an Istanbul-born and -based artist, photographer, and educator. She gives us insight into her quest for finding the invisible through photography, by looking at what cannot be seen in images. Cemre also talks about the current difficult situation for artists in Turkey and why inflation makes it so challenging to run a photo bookshop. She o...

In our first Three Books that inspired you special we asked Dutch artist Erik Kessels about photo-books that enriched his way of thinking The books are: Chantal Rens - YOU RUN AROUND TOWN LIKE A FOOL AND YOU THINK THAT IT'S GROOVY, published by PANTOFLE BOOKS, 2916 Christian Boltanksi,  KADISH . Paris: Musée d'Art Modern; München: Gina Kehayoff Verlag, 1998 Sha kokken The love in sex lif...

In this episode, we have the great pleasure to meet with Professor Geoffrey Batchen, an expert in the history of photography. He has taught in his native Australia, the United States, and currently holds a position at Oxford in the UK as a professor of the history of art. He has curated exhibitions in renowned institutions such as the ICP in New York, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and the Izu...

Nous publions, donc nous existons ! Voici le premier épisode de The Photo Vault. Découvrez la proposition éditoriale de ce podcast, ainsi que la façon de vous engager auprès du Vernacular Social Club, votre plateforme dédiée à la photographie vernaculaire, aux archives photographiques, aux collections et aux livres de photos.  Dans cette introduction, vous entendrez les voix du collectionneur, édi...

We publish; therefore, we exist! This is our first episode of The Photo Vault . Find out what to expect from this podcast in the future, as well as how to engage with the Vernacular Social Club , your platform for Vernacular Photography, Archives, Collecting, and Photo-books. In this introduction, you will hear the voices of collector, editor, and artist Jean-Marie Donat , along with his views on...