The book ‘Possible Paradise’ with photos by Diana Blok & text by Annette de Vries / PHOTO COVER Diana Blok,2003
Forgotten paradise
Sometimes the stacks fall over.
Then I really need to start doing something about my excessive book collection.
This time, a book fell out that I had forgotten about.
Possible Paradise from Diana Blok.
An artist from Uruguay who has lived in the Netherlands for a long time.
It is a photographic report of her visit to Suriname.
From over ten years ago already.
A wonderful collection of photos of primarily people, but also buildings and locations.
Beautiful people, picturesque buildings, special locations.
Those photos have already seen the light once in an exhibition.
In CBK Zuidoost.
A logical place.
In Suriname they have never been shown.
Even the book has never made the crossing before.
The photographs are probably in one of those cold grey metal storage cabinets now.
Forgotten, abandoned.
The books are collecting dust on the shelf of a publisher.
And in my overly high stack of books.
There should be something that can be done about that.
That book has not made its visible fall to the ground for nothing.
It must surely be a sign.
A sign that wants to be seen/heard.
From the ‘Possible Paradise’ series / PHOTO Diana Blok,2003
From the ‘Possible Paradise’ series / PHOTO Diana Blok,2003
From the ‘Possible Paradise’ series / PHOTO Diana Blok,2003
From the ‘Possible Paradise’ series / PHOTO Diana Blok,2003
From the ‘Possible Paradise’ series / PHOTO Diana Blok,2003
From the ‘Possible Paradise’ series / PHOTO Diana Blok,2003
TEXT Rob Perrée
Rob Perrée is art historian and works as freelance writer, art critic and curator, specialized in contemporary (Afro-) American art, African art, Surinamese art and art using new media. His work has appeared in countless catalogues, books, magazines and newspapers. He is editor of Sranan Art Xposed, editor in chief of Africanah.org and a member of the editing team of Pf Photo Magazine. His website: http://robperree.com.
PHOTOS Diana Blok
Previously published in digital art magazine SAX Sranan Art Xposed, January 2015, nr. 10
