Background information
"'The Europeans' is a portrait of modern Europe. Traveling from region to region and from theme to theme in this multi-year project, photographer Rob HORNSTRA and writer and filmmaker Arnold van Bruggen will create a 21st century time piece on the European Heartland. They see Europe on the eve of drastic change. Populism and authoritarianism are on the rise, ghosts from the past seem to return. It’s time to come up with a new version of The Europeans after ‘Les Européens’ book by Henri CATIER-BRESSON, published in 1955.
In the 2nd publication of the 'The Europeans' project, 'The Naval Base', deals with a Northern Dutch town built, bombed and rebuilt by the government. When the government invests in the navy, the city flourishes. When the government withdraws, the city fades away. There are many more like this naval town in Europe: cities or regions that are excessively dependent on the attention of the national government. A city where the population is unilaterally composed according to the demand of the largest employer." (© Rob HORNSTRA, 2021)
Content
Dutch photographer Rob HORNSTRA documents in his photo volume 'The Naval Base. De Marinebasis' how people live in and with the Naval Base. Mostly full-paged color photographs are compaigned with described text and comments by portrayed people- both: in English and Dutch.