Where the spirit meets the bone
About The Project
May 2023, Fotoacademie Amsterdam,
With this work, I aim to share my connection with the language of movement. Each image tells a story; every gesture and emotion speaks a universal language that transcends words. These photos are not posed; they capture genuine, authentic movements that emanate from deep within, making the unspoken visible.
Through my book, I invite the reader or viewer to experience the unspoken and to explore the universal language of human movement. The sparingly used texts in the book serve as a subtle guide, offering a light framework and context for the visual journey presented. The black and white images are printed on eco-friendly paper, with a cover made from recycled agricultural materials and a handmade spine.
The texts in the book are translated into both Dutch and English by Liese Herdewyn.
The prints on the wall serve as an introduction to the book. They are printed on handmade Japanese Washi paper. I employ different types of framing, edits, and presentation methods, depending on the light and space.
Graduation Show, Loods 6 Amsterdam, 2023
Person turning pages of a photo book on a table, with other photo books and a smartphone visible.
Collection of black and white photographs and printed materials on a wooden surface, featuring images of legs and abstract poses.
Solo show, De Engelbewaarder in Amsterdam, 2023
Interior of a cafe or gallery with wooden walls displaying black and white photographs of dancers. Tables are arranged with books or publications laid out. Chairs and wooden panels are visible.
Groupshow, Reflections of time, Den Bosch The Netherlands, 2023
A black and white photograph of intertwined legs displayed in a wooden frame on a wall.
Solo Show - Inner Movement, Atelier K84, Amsterdam, 2024
Interior of an art gallery with black and white photographs on the walls, a table displaying books and pamphlets, and a small monitor on a stand.
Art gallery interior with two people browsing photo books on tables; black and white photographs displayed on the walls; minimalist decor with chairs and a microphone stand in the background.
Person viewing two black and white photographs in an art gallery.
A display of open books and photographs on a white table, featuring black-and-white images of people and text. One book titled "Lena" is prominently displayed. Various other printed materials, including a booklet titled "Where the spirit meets the bone" with details about publication, are arranged around the table.
Art gallery wall with several books and a framed photograph of dancers' legs on display.
Gallery wall with framed black and white photographs, including images of a person crouching in nature and a person performing a handstand.
Solo Show - Inner Movement, De Meisjesschool, Bovenkarspel, The Netherlands, 2025
Two black and white photographs of a shirtless man on a wall, with a brick pattern below.
Art gallery interior with black and white photographs on white walls, a black stool, and an open doorway to a room with brick walls and a bench.
Black and white photo of a person crouching outdoors, displayed on a wall with a red brick and black tile border.
About the Book
To another they may just be dancers, but to me they represent fragments of life, of my life. As a (former) dancer and dance maker with a complex inner world of experience,
it is often a quest to express what is going on inside. Dance translates my inner movement, better than words can. It’s not about dance, but about conveying feelings and emotions that cannot be expressed in words.
“We have been granted access to a private world, away from the formality of a choreographed performance available to view en masse and with rigid regularity. Between these pages we can revisit in quiet moments at our leisure, perhaps whilst Mingus whispers in our ears.”
— Robin Titchener
(From a review by Robin Titchener. Read the whole review here.)
Language: English / Dutch
Publication Year: 2023
112 pages bounded with a handmade spine and sleeve (cover)
Paper: Munken pure 90/150 gr. Sleeve - Paperwise Natural 295 grams
Font: Letter Gothic Std
Photography & Text: Monique Belier
Design & Edit: Monique Belier
Proofreading & Translation: Liese Herdewyn
Second edition: 150 Numbered and signed
Printing: Impressed Print
Binding: Agia
Self published, 2023 Monique Belier
20 Limited copies
Special editions of the second edition of ‘Where the spirit meets the bone’ includes:
A4 Fine art print, printed on Washi handmade paper (four different prints to choose from)
Addition of new work about Lena
The second edition of the book
In a handmade special box