Speaking of Books

A lot has happened over the past few weeks, but most of it concerns things that are still to come. And it doesn’t feel very urgent to simply list everything.

So why write at all?

I realize I’m mostly interested in people’s processes. In what moves someone. Where you end up, and how you continue from there. Not in ready-made answers, but in the reflections that lead up to them. In the road toward something. The journey, however you want to call it.
Successes are nice, of course, they can help you along the way, but what really matters to me lives in the maker’s mind. That’s where my curiosity sits.

I also find myself wondering: why does someone subscribe to a newsletter? And when do you actually take the time to read it? If you feel like sharing your thoughts, I’d love to hear them.

Right now, most of my energy goes into finishing my book. I’ve visited one printer and requested quotes, and next week I’ll meet with another. After that, I hope to decide who will print and bind it.

At the same time, I’m setting up my Voor de Kunst crowdfunding campaign. The writing is going well, but the video… that’s hard. I first made something where I didn’t appear on camera, only as a voice-over. The feedback was clear: I need to be visible. And that’s exactly where I tend to freeze and start postponing. Still, something has to happen, the project needs funding.

Meanwhile, Sofia (Her Photo Agency) and I have pitched the project to several organizations, which led to a number of invitations. One of them came from a university in Bern, from the dance and theatre studies department, to give a lecture and build an exhibition together with students. I’m genuinely excited about it; it’s a beautiful opportunity, but it feels also nerve-wracking. There are more things on the horizon, but as I said, I don’t want this letter to turn into a list.

So what now?

The story is finished, the book is designed, and now it’s ready to enter the world. That takes time, of course, but my mind keeps moving. For a while, I’ve been wanting to experiment with RISO printing, maybe making a few prints to accompany the book. And then, after emailing a RISO printer, I unexpectedly received TRACKby Hajime Kimura a few days later, entirely printed in RISO. Truly beautiful. I fell in love instantly.

Books are completely irresistible to me. I also bought Jasper by Matthew Genitempo. I’d wanted it for a long time but thought it was sold out, until I suddenly came across it. It’s a poetic translation of the sleepy town of Jasper, inspired by the life and work of poet and land surveyor Frank Stanford. These photographs of hermetic homes and men living in solitude were taken in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and Missouri.

Speaking of books: a few weeks ago, together with my friend and colleague Boris Hamilton, I founded Waterland Editions. We focus on honest and personal stories, hoping they can help bridge divides, encourage acceptance, and foster a better understanding of one another. More simply, we also love making beautiful objects you can get lost in. For now, you can follow us on Instagram: @waterland.editions.

Thanks for following along,
Monique

Upcoming
West-Fries Photo festival 16 & 17th of May 2026

During the Festival in May, I’ll be leading a workshop: (E)Motion Capturing Emotion in Motion with an improvising dancer. We’ll explore how movement and feeling come together in an image, a quiet, playful experiment with your own theme or emotion.

Reserve your spot
Sunday 17th of May - 10.00 - 12.30

7 February – 7 March 2026 Group Exhibition: ‘State of Becoming’– The Ace Project, Rotterdam
A work from Where the Spirit Meets the Bone and the diptych Treading Water will be part of this group show.
If you like to be part of the opening at 6 February, please send me a message.
Follow on Instagram

5 February - 1 April 2026 As Co-Curator: ‘Tussen’ – Engelbewaarder, Amsterdam
I’m co-curating together with Ringel Goslinga, Tussen by Caroline Kist