Societal Urgency in Sander Coers’ Work

Featuring Sander Coers Words by Nastasia Khmelnitski

Website Instagram

The most vivid images come to us as memories from the past influencing our thoughts, defining our values, and affecting the core of our being. Those moments construe our reality and become the themes we tend to go back to and analyze to learn something new about ourselves. For Sander Coers, such a moment is a holiday spent with his family as a kid in Spain.

As Sander explains, “For me, this memory feels like coming home. I have a strong longing to go back to the carefree summers of my youth.” The recreation of this moment comes in a merge with the intrinsic desire to discover and observe the human and become what we will continue to follow with Sander’s work.

Sander Coers is a Rotterdam-based photographer who is currently studying toward his Bachelor’s degree in Photography at Willem de Kooning Academy. Sander took part in various group exhibitions in the Netherlands, with the latest one Noorderlicht Futurama at the Museum Belvédère. In this interview, we speak with Sander and explore his discovery of photography, the main drive in this sphere, and the tender memories which have an effect on him to this day. Sander shares with us the main topics of his current graduation project, which will turn into a photo book Come Home.

‘The first ten rolls came out terrible, but I fell head over heels in love with the magic of film. A few months later, I applied to art school with a quickly put-together portfolio.’

The Beginning

As a young photographer, born in 1997, how do you think the possibilities to enter the profession changed? Is it an easier way due to social media and the change of the state of mind towards classical education? Tell us about your story. 

Photography, as a serious medium, has definitely become more challenging because of social media, et cetera. When I began taking photos about five years ago, I bought an old analogue camera because I quickly felt I had to distinguish myself from other photographers of my generation. The first ten rolls came out terrible, but I fell head over heels in love with the magic of film. A few months later, I applied to art school with a quickly put-together portfolio that consisted of photos of my friends, people I came across, and moments I experienced during my first year in Rotterdam. 

During my time at the academy, I broadened my knowledge of analogue photography and experimented a lot. I wouldn't say that the academy has pushed me into a more classical way of approaching photography, but being in such an environment has definitely allowed me to look critically at my work and develop a sense of societal urgency in my work. 

‘Ever since I was young, my interest has lied with people: how they act, how they react. I used to observe behaviour for hours, and analyze every little detail, obsessing over what people said, how they moved.’

The Moment

What was the turning point in your career or the most important, eye-opening occurrence which led you to understand how you want to define your aesthetics, especially as connected to capturing the subjects in a more intimate and dreamy manner? 

Ever since I was young, my interest has lied with people: how they act, how they react. I used to observe behaviour for hours, and analyze every little detail, obsessing over what people said, how they moved. Listening to peoples' stories has been a way to deal with my emotions. The same way that my photography is a way of expressing and exploring my feelings through the stories of others. I think that discovering photographers like Harley Weir, Viviane Sassen, and Ren Hang who create their own fantasy worlds around these stories was an incredibly important moment because it reminded me that I could do the same in my own way. 

‘It's me walking to the sea with my parents while on holiday in Spain. We're climbing a hill underneath dark green foliage. The scent of pine trees fills up my nose, and the dry, salty breeze touches my skin. I can hear people laughing, shouting.’

The Memory

What is your most tender memory which had an impact on you or your approach to photography? 

It's me walking to the sea with my parents while on holiday in Spain. We're climbing a hill underneath dark green foliage. The scent of pine trees fills up my nose, and the dry, salty breeze touches my skin. I can hear people laughing, shouting. The sun has almost set, and as we get closer to the ridge of the hill, the deep blue water reveals itself. 

Why do you think this occurrence was significant? 

For me, this memory feels like coming home. I have a strong longing to go back to the carefree summers of my youth. To go back home, whatever that is. This yearning seeps through to my work in the form of romantic landscapes, saturated colours, and symbolism that refers to my childhood. Through the intimacy and nostalgia of film, I'm trying to recreate how these memories feel to me. 

The Drive

What is your main passion in photography, or what drives you to continue working? 

I think that telling stories and being allowed to create things for people to see is the greatest thing. I'm really grateful to be able to work as a photographer; and share my vision of the world, meeting new people, seeing new places. Not one day is the same, and I like the uncertainty of that. It's exciting.

Upcoming Projects

What’s the next thing we’ll see from you? What is the stage this project is in today? 

I'm currently working on my graduation project, which is going to be a photo book called Come Home. This past year I've photographed young men and asked them about love, being intimate, and how they deal with the stereotypes of masculinity surrounding these subjects. The result is a visual study of the masculine lovescape through intimate portraits, landscapes, still lifes of flowers, and details of homes. I'm still in the middle of the process, and I haven't found a publisher yet, but I hope to be able to present the book somewhere in 2021.