Misha de Ridder: high up close by

Abstract

Amsterdam's Oude Kerk, consecrated in 1306, is one of the oldest buildings in the city. After the iconoclasm in 1566, the church slowly gained a serene, sober appearance. Over the course of several hundred years, it was enlarged and renovated until the building achieved its current form. Misha de Ridder explored the tactility of the walls and the diversity of shapes in the Oude Kerk with a high-resolution digital camera. The series brings us closer to the centuries of hands that constructed and altered the church with exceptionally detailed images of painted walls illuminated by soft daylight falling through the tall windows. Even the ink's scent on the pages recalls this spatial experience.