Rob Hornsta (1975) is a well known Dutch documentary  photographer. He has worked on various long-term projects abroad (for instance in the Northern Caucasus), published six books, and participated in numerous exhibitions in the Netherlands and abroad. Last week I paid him a visit to find out what he thinks about arts and conflict.

What do the words arts and conflict say to you?
“Well, what I find very interesting is not the definition of a conflict, but the reasons for a conflict. There’s a big difference between journalism and art: in journalism we only see reports and facts, we see what a conflict is. But documentary makers and artists, whom I think are the same, have another task: to show us why a conflict is. They are more concerned which the explanation of why a conflict is going on. And that’s what I find much more interesting as well.”

© Rob Hornstra/INSTITUTE. Courtesy Flatland Gallery

Have you seen conflict in the places where you photographed?
“Although I haven’t seen direct conflicts, I have seen a lot of the consequences of conflicts. For example in Abkhazia and the Northern Caucasus, where there has been fought on almost every inch. But I think a conflict does not necessarily have to involve weapons. For instance what happened in Russia, the transition from communism to capitalism, I consider that a conflict as well, since the consequences were disastrous and a huge number of people were murdered in that time.

I have never been in a conflict zone at times of war, I don’t have that ambition. Not because I’m scared or something, I just don’t see the purpose. There’s only panic, people are fighting to survive, so what’s there to do for me besides look around and be astonished about what’s going on? I’ll just see it on television. I think that the consequences of conflict are often the same as a direct war.
Why do we always only look at the conflict itself? But before and after there’s nobody who cares about it. This is something very disturbing, because conflicts could avoided if we did care before and after. But that’s boring, so we don’t look at it.”

Are you inspired by conflict?
“It certainly is a source of inspiration. I wouldn’t say that conflict is the source of inspiration, but a conflict creates change. And change in general is very interesting for photographers and documentary makers. A photographer is even somewhat dependent on change, because photography is the ideal medium to show change. Very simply put: you have a picture before and you have a picture after, and you see the change. Visual change is very interesting for a photographer and places where conflicts have been you often see a lot of change, so therefore they are interesting. Any kind of change is absolutely an inspiration for my work. ”

Do you think that art can change the world for the better?
“Yes. I think that socially engaged art could lead to an increased awareness of how the world works. It may create a greater awareness of other cultures, how people think, how the history of things works. And when you have that awareness, I am convinced that you get a more nuanced look at many things around you. And if everyone has a more nuanced look, I think there will be less conflict.

However I also think that we artists have to be realistic. Art is something that is generally viewed by a group of intellectual people who already have that awareness. I think that’s a shame and I myself try to avoid that, making my art accessible to all sorts of people, not just the intellectual group. By including aesthetics into my photographs, I hope that people are drawn to a story they want to know more about.
I am strongly convinced that artists can help to create more understanding in the world, which in the most positive circumstances can lead to less conflict.”

What is the purpose of your work? To create awareness?
“Yes, that has a lot to do with it. I really want to give people food for thought, because everyone has prejudices about other people and other countries. What I find interesting is to see if I can use my work to play with these prejudices. Sometimes I confirm them, and sometimes I undermine them and give people a confused feeling, something to think about.
When people start thinking about the topics of my documentaries, I think they pick up a lot more than if I’d give them a sort of report you see in journalism.
So with my work I want to make people think, and in the most ideal case to reconsider their prejudices, open their eyes. Deepen your look and it might be quite different than you expected.
I don’t have the illusion that I can reach the whole world. But even if I reach ten, or hundred people.. It’s still a hundred people, and perhaps they can spread the word to another hundred.”

More on Rob Hornstra and his work is to be seen in the Vice Magazine web doc ‘Picture Perfect 3‘ whereas his [and Arnold van Bruggen's]‘The Sochi Project‘ is like a book and film at the same time.’

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