The Well

This project, created during my studies, has a personal starting point close to home. "The Well" tells the story of a piece of land, adjacent to my backyard in Watergang. It’s a small village between Amsterdam and Purmerend in The Netherlands where I live.

Since I moved to Watergang, "The Well" intrigued me. I kept on looking at it and wondered: ‘What is object doing on that piece of land? Was there once a house? Did people live there and did something happen? Talking to villagers, I discovered that various stories about the well circulated. These stories sparked my imagination.

I got obsessed with finding answers. I spend hours searching for answers in archives. I followed the traces of the landscape, my research and imagination. With all materials found, I crafted my own story and book about the small piece of land where "The Well" stands. As I searched for something authentic that had been lost, the final story connects the present with the past. It brings back historical elements to the Dutch landscape: a farm and a family. 

In The Well I combine fact and fiction, comprising my own photos, self-made drawings, archival material, and cadastral research.