Wouter Van de Voorde, Datura Flapped v2, 2023
Hand processed RA4 print, 8×10 inch

Statement by Wouter Van de Voorde:

Opgelicht, Dutch for “lit-up” or “scammed,” speaks directly to the material nature of this exhibition. The hand-made processes and techniques I use reflect an embrace of imperfection and human error. Not being a classically trained photographer has often left me with a sense of imposter syndrome, but this has pushed me toward a tactile, instinctive way of working, free from prescribed methods and rigid technique.

At the same time, Opgelicht refers quite literally to light: the illumination of scenes onto photographic film, or photographic paper being exposed in a wet darkroom. This dual meaning runs through the entire exhibition.

This exhibition brings together fragments from different bodies of work, forming a constellation of images that reflect the messy, layered ways I inhabit the world. Datura, a toxic, hallucinogenic plant that recurs in my work, embodies the balance between allure and danger, memory and loss. My images often transform familiar places and experiences into something uncanny and fragile, hovering between personal memory and broader histories.

As a Belgian living in Canberra, I navigate the tensions of home, migration, and belonging. Being a father and husband has shifted my perspective.

Opgelicht is a table of contents for a practice still very much in flux.