De Kloof

Graduation work  | 2023

De Kloof is a walk-in house for people who are experiencing homelessness in Amsterdam (NL), situated in the souterrain of a monumental building at the canals of the city. While it remains unseen by many, its activity plays a fundamental role in the life of most of the daily visitors. In this function, De Kloof, amongst other walk-in houses, establishes itself as one of the last possible places to turn to, for those who have nowhere else to go.

The work is the result of on-going dialogue with an aim to contribute to this community through visual language. The video-installation explores the complex and dynamic world inside De Kloof, and is told through unedited recorded dialogues, in which visitors, employees, and volunteers share their connection with the place. Furthermore, made through collaboration, the photographs function to highlight the voices of the visitors. By doing so, the maker’s viewpoint is deliberately overshadowed by voices of the people inside De Kloof, exploring new collaborative ways of working within the contemporary social documentary field. The created space functions to present an insight. It wants to reach a large audience and call attention to the unseen, advocating recognition to the community of De Kloof.