I stepped into the parallel universe of Scarlett Hooft Graafland through a kind of portal. At first glance, the world she creates with her photographs feels familiar: the vast salt flats of Bolivia, the icy expanse of the Canadian Arctic, the huge baobabs of Madagascar, the remote stillness of Lapland. The people, too, seem recognizable, like the Bolivian women in traditional dress with signature bowler hats. But then, something feels slightly off. A group of blue people seeking shelter, a bright blue reindeer among a herd of 2,500, a traveler flying alongside an airplane, an igloo made of lemonade ice, a group of men and a camel hiding behind a pink cloak, details that tilt the scene into the surreal. As I learn more about her work, the picture sharpen. Scarlett does not just travel to remote locations to photograph landscapes, she immerses herself in them. After weeks of living within the community and absorbing its rhythms, she stages poetic, dreamlike scenes that blend local people, cultural symbols, and social themes. The vast desolate backdrops become her stage where the drama unfolds. To fully grasp the meaning behind her images, one must look beyond their visual poetry and read the accompanying texts. Only then does her surreal world truly come into focus. Panorama Mesdag in The Hague had the inspired idea to give her the space for a large display of her work, allowing us to discover this unique perspective in photography.
