.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
"In 1994 I photographed children of refugees in the asylum in Leiden, Holland for a project 'A Pressing Engagement.' There I met Almerisa and her parents, who two weeks earlier had fled from Bosnia.
The photograph I took of Almerisa that day shows her sitting on a chair in her Sunday dress, awaiting her destiny whether she will be allowed to stay in Holland or not.
Two years later I visited her and her family again. Although her parents still hadn't received the so-called 'A Status' (permanent staying permit), Almerisa went to school, unlike her parents she already spoke fluent Dutch. From this second meeting on I have visited the family regularly, usually without a camera.
The portrait of Almerisa not only shows the development of an upgrowing child, but also shows her transition from a South-East-Euopean to a West-European culture."
Rineke Dijkstra
The photograph I took of Almerisa that day shows her sitting on a chair in her Sunday dress, awaiting her destiny whether she will be allowed to stay in Holland or not.
Two years later I visited her and her family again. Although her parents still hadn't received the so-called 'A Status' (permanent staying permit), Almerisa went to school, unlike her parents she already spoke fluent Dutch. From this second meeting on I have visited the family regularly, usually without a camera.
The portrait of Almerisa not only shows the development of an upgrowing child, but also shows her transition from a South-East-Euopean to a West-European culture."
Rineke Dijkstra