Working and living in 'Het Buijtenland', the changing polders of Rhoon.
Seven years ago I cycled for the first time from my home in Rotterdam-West to the polders of Rhoon; I saw old farms, wide osiers, the line of trees on the Essendijk. The recent discussions about the redevelopment of the area made me decide to follow the turbulent process and record what is happening in the area.
With wellies, old clothes and my camera I regularly go out in the polder. It has now been decided that 'Het Buijtenland' will become a combination of nature-inclusive agriculture and recreational area. I follow the changes and how the farmers, residents and visitors to the area deal with those changes – sometimes a bit reluctant, often imaginatively.
Rotterdam Harvest Market, where the farmers of 'Het Buijtenland' sell their products, exhibited my photo series in 2014 in the city centre of Rotterdam. They wrote about the series: 'An atmospheric and engaging visual report, in which care, the relationship with nature and the love for the area are central.'
This project led to two assignments: for the Province of South Holland and 'Coöperatie Buijtenland van Rhoon' and for the World Expo Milan, see here.
'The ground beneath our feet' is a work-in-progress: I still regularly jump on my bicycle and visit the farmers in the area, most of whom I know well by now.
RTV Rijnmond presenter Chris Vemer interviewed the farmers and me about the photo project and 'Het Buijtenland'.