Prague Diary
Through the center, the periphery, and the landscape along the Vltava River. It is a hot August day, the sidewalk burns, the air is heavy. The pulse of the city beats in a slow rhythm, the atmosphere is sleepy. Prague does not feel like a big city, nor does it experience a significant influx of tourists. Photographer Iwan Baan walks its streets for the first time. He is driven by curiosity and the desire to discover. He listens to the sounds of the city, trying to understand the language it speaks. He perceives its past, its character, omitting neither its landmarks nor its forgotten corners. He reacts with sensitivity to its diversity and contradictions. He visually narrates the city’s extraordinary story.
Iwan Baan’s poetic image of the city carries a bleakness and neglect. It is not based on a picturesquely underwhelming likability, but a reality that must be confronted. Seven days with a camera in hand, on foot, on a bicycle, from a height – as is typical for him. On the move, in constant motion, yet time seems to stand still in his photos. Miniature human figures in stiff poses are asking for attention. The architecture near them is captured as if accidentally.
