Jan Kempenaers, Spomenik, 2010
Belgian photographer Jan Kempenaers visited the Spomenik’s, Second World War monuments in former Yugoslavia, and produced these straight forward photographs in soft muted colours. His palette has a gentle, almost vintage touch. This, combined with the spartan layout, is the key to this wonderful book’s strength. The massive concrete or stone monuments appear almost lonely and sad, as if aware of having been forgotten. The whole mood of the book is still and quiet. Jan Kempenaers name is practically hidden on the back side of the title page, echoing the sense of the lost, like the Spomenik’s themselves.
After the title page come 6 1/2 pages of index with 26 small format pictures revealing the names of the monuments, their locations, and year the photograph was taken. This is followed by 26 pages of photographs.
Published by Roma Publications, Amsterdam, 2010 in co-production with A4A vzw, Antwerp.
Hard cover with dust jacket
App. 33.5 x 24.5cm
64 pages