2x2projects is pleased to present the group exhibition "Night Walkers", showing the work of three Amsterdam based artists. Their work forms a triangle of possible interpretations of the exhibition title. Each one of them is showing a different theme, all being photos taken after daylight. Photography in darkness is a challenging technique in the first place. The images are a registration that the human eye cannot capture, they become a window and give the viewer access to a new angle of looking at things, seeing details that otherwise are missed.

In the triangle, Sander Meisner is a night walker, venturing out into the city discovering colorful beauty in the desolate corners of the gray man made structures. He exposes the sleeping infrastructure of the urban environment. Gifted with a feeling for composition and detail, Sander is turning these usually overlooked corners into objects of desire. The lack of light and extremely long exposure of the photographic film add a secondary effect; any interaction of human movement becomes totally invisible. Therefore, his pictures make us wonder what of this beauty will remain if human life would suddenly disappear. How long will infrastructure last when not regularly maintained and when will nature take over?

Where nature is taking over, Martin Effert's photos come into play. He takes photographs of nature at night, illuminated by an almost concealed light source. Although traces of manmade objects do remain, Martin removes the direct link to the urban environment by pointing his camera away from it. The most significant trace is in fact the light source. The light is everything but moonlight. We don't just see images of branches, dirt, trees and rocks, there is something more. The tension that is created in understanding that a photo of pure nature at night is impossible without the technical intervention of man, adds to the mystical feeling that is present in Effert's works.

Between the beauty of infrastructure and the natural wilderness there also is human nature. This third leg in the triangle is represented in the photos by Ernst van Deursen. Ernst is often seen with his camera working as a reporter at parties and events. He is frequently doing the late shift, capturing night life in its wildest hours. Some of these photos are not just a report, they become artworks with a narrative. The artist's interest in these images is focused on the change of behavior when people are in a dark environment. He portrays the extravaganza of men and women who just party on, 'where sunrise seems to always come too early and too late at the same time'. The frozen images shown together are stories, telling us of people in an altered state of mind. Ernst van Deursen adds a significant angle to the exhibition "Night Walkers", not only by being a night walker himself, but also by capturing those that walk at night.
photo on the right by Sander Meisner