Nachtwerven
Paulien Van Damme
Antwerpen, België
About
I am Paulien Van Damme, 25 years old and from Antwerp. Nightlife culture feels like a home to me and is a major source of inspiration, just like photography. I enjoy documenting communities that are close to my heart. In addition, I like combining analogue and digital techniques to create new visual outcomes.
Project
In the 80s and 90s, Antwerp was internationally known as a city of nightlife. Today, clubs disappear faster than they emerge, even though nightlife still remains part of the city’s DNA. Within my generation, I notice the same contradiction: a longing for that legendary party culture, while also keeping a distance from nightlife itself. With this project, I want to capture that tension and make Antwerp’s nightlife tangible again.
For my project, I interviewed a selected group of pioneers who helped shape Antwerp’s nightlife into what it once was. At the same time, I spoke with the people who, with great passion, continue to keep this culture alive today. By working with collages, I hope to capture the contrast between the 80s/90s and today. Combining analogue and digital techniques allows me to emphasize each era. Through this project, I hope to invite people to celebrate, and above all, to dance.
