“It was cinematic and exciting. You even see a scene at the intersection. Go see, then you know why she deserved it.” For example, the jury described the winning photo of photographer Ester Afman from Groningen, which she sent for the Crossroads photo competition.
The winning photo was taken on the Veldweg in Peest. “She took the photo on a free deserted road in the forest,” says Mick Wachtmeester, the son of Afman, who receives the prize for her. “She was in the middle of the night to get it as dark as possible.” On the photo you see a dark intersection with a homely scene in the middle. A large lamp, a wooden chair and an old painting. “She enjoyed making something crazy, with things that could come from a living room.” Afman won a check of five hundred euros with the photo.
The photo competition is an initiative of the Crossroads Festival. The Blues Festival that is being organized in Assen for the second time this year. “We really want to link other disciplines to our festival, such as theater, visual arts, but also photography,” explains Gerrit Kamstra. He is chairman of the Talkin ‘Blues Foundation, who sets up the festival. “Our festival is called Crossroads that the photo competition had to be about intersections was obvious,” he laughs.
The festival called on hobby and professional photographers this summer to send in their most beautiful intersections. “The photo does not have to be a intersection literally, but can also be a crossroads in your head or something that looks like it. So also all the associations that you have at intersections.” In total, seventy photographers sent their work. A jury chose the seven best works, which can now be seen in Theater De Nieuwe Kolk in Assen.
The photos are currently not the only artistic intersections in Assen to think about. The annual art on the canal was also opened on Friday evening. In addition, around seventy artists exhibit their work in houses and gardens along the Vaart in Assen throughout the weekend.