Description
This is my story about the Havenstraat and the Karperweg in Amsterdam, one of the last fringe areas within the city.
I spent two years photographing the area, and the people that worked, lived or acted out their hobbies there.
And then I made a book about it, called ISLAND.
It was a rough place built up of Quonset huts and shacks. The interesting thing is that it was located within the city, on expensive land.
It was like a tiny island surrounded by city. Places like this are important but don’t stand a chance in cities that are rapidly gentrifying.
There was a thrift store, a clothing outlet, a guy who repaired old military vehicles, a harpsichord builder, a few artists, a bicycle repair shop, a place where
old trams were restored, a beer brewery, a special effects expert, scrap metal recycling, a garage, several hobbyists, some animals, a handful of residents, and more.
They were a group of extraordinary individuals who formed a community because of the place and the situation they were in.
Here they found a place where they could live, work, and be, in a way that wouldn’t have been possible anywhere else in the city.
The area was shut down on 6 March 2024 and it got a lot of attention. I presented my book, in combination with an exhibition, on 5 April 2024.
There were 160 people present, of which many from the area.
It’s a beautiful memory for the city but it’s more than that: It’s a tribute to places like this, all around the world, that disappeared for the same reasons.
Info:
- Name: Island
- Photography: Daniel Nicolas
- Design: -SYB-
- Printing: Wilco Art Books
- 248 pages / 115 photographs
- Hard Cover, Swiss binding
- 240 mm x 300 mm
- ISBN: 978-9-0903819-2-3
- First edition of 500
More information about this book can be found here.
NOTE: This book is shipping within the US, Canada and Mexico only. For signed copies, or to buy it in Europe or elsewhere visit here.
