The Photo Vault: A journey into Vernacular Photography, Archives and Photobooks

In this episode, we hear from an artist who, according to reliable sources, is BIG IN JAPAN—Dutch artist Chantal Rens. Her lifelong obsession with collecting has shaped her into a collage artist creating surrealist images brimming with fantasy and a hint of desire. What she desires, we’ll uncover in this conversation. A favorite quote: “If people see my work, they get happy”—something rarely said about contemporary art.

Listen as Chantal, in her own words, makes art out of "useless stuff," bringing a unique touch of humor to her creations.

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Welcome to the Photo Vault, featuring books that inspire you! Today, we’re exploring the work of one of my favorite storytellers in the form of a photo book that uses a lot of vernacular photography—Kurt Tong. Listen to this episode to gain insight into why he values these three bodies of work.

Dracula - Bram Stoker 

The Haunting of Bly Manor - Mike Flanagan 

Philip Pullman - His Dark Material  

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In this episode, I take you to Singapore, where I attended the Singapore International Photo Festival with the Myanmar Photo Archive. During my time there, I met Roy Ng, a curator at the National Gallery Singapore. Our conversation quickly turned into a deep dive into the evolving cultural landscape of Singapore—how the city-state is positioning itself as a regional cultural hub, the complexities of representation, and the role of institutions in shaping artistic narratives. Roy shares his insights on decolonization, the challenges of curating national identity, and the global structures of art history. Join me as we explore these themes and more in a fascinating discussion about art, institutions, and cultural memory.

National Gallery 
Myanmar Photo Archive
The Buddhist Archive
Rumah Abu: Death and the Photographic Medium in Straits Chinese Ancestral Halls

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In this episode of The Photo Vault, we speak with the wonderfully insightful Chiara Capodici about her experience in the photobook world. From the "mythical times" in Europe 20 years ago to today's bookselling landscape, portfolio reviews, and photobook publishing, Chiara shares her journey and perspectives.

Chiara runs Leporello Books in Rome, Italy—a bookshop primarily devoted to photography, graphic design, architecture, and illustration. It also serves as an exhibition space focused on books and images, promoting a multidisciplinary approach to visual culture.

In addition, Chiara teaches, curates, and creates across a broad range of photography-related topics.

Find links here to people and places mentioned in the episode:

Leporello Books

Sebastian Hau  

Sugarpaper 

Markus Schaden & Frederic Lezmi  

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We all need inspiration, and books can certainly provide it. Today, we explore some wonderfully unusual inspirations from Dutch collage artist Chantal Rens. Her book selections stem from her deep love for animals. Discover more through her descriptions, and see links to the books she discusses below:

Mijn lama, Diekman Miep 

Counting sheep  Hans van der Meer 

erik Kessel - in almost every picture 9

SOUVENIR - ROLAND TOPOR 

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Meet Kurt Tong, an award-winning photographer and storyteller who has crafted some of the finest narratives in recent years, blending archival and vernacular photographs with personal storytelling. In our conversation, he gives a very honest account of why he left photojournalism and how to rethink your goals as an artist.

Enjoy this conversation!

Artist website: 

Dear Franklin Book 

Krampus: 

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3 Books That Inspire You Today with Chiara Capodici, who runs Leporello Books in Rome. Chiara brings a deeply philosophical approach to photobooks and bookmaking. Tune in to hear about her two current favorite photobooks and her all-time favorite author.

She recommends  the following books and authors

• Tara - Sebastian Bruno   
• Silence is a gift - Ciro Battiloro  
• Roberto Calasso  

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This episode of The Photo Vault accompanies the latest edition of REVU magazine, titled War & Peace. REVU is the Vernacular Social Club’s print outlet, covering a variety of subjects. Although there is much to say on War & Peace, this episode was not easy to create. We decided to touch on a few aspects of War & Peace in photography and in general. The world at this moment, or perhaps at any given moment, is entangled in so many wars that it is almost impossible to know where to begin. Most likely, REVU and its visual investigations in vernacular photography around War & Peace are more successful, as they have no beginning and no end, and the images can be interpreted individually by each reader. So please have a look at it after you listen to the Podcast.

Visit the Vernacular Social Club's website for more information on REVU.

References:

• Nelson Mandela
• TIME Photojournalist Lynsey Addario
• War & Peace by Director Bondarchuk Sergey 1964 
• Archive of Modern Conflict
• Soldier Studies book
• War - Edwin Starr

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In this episode, you will follow Lukas as he explores the photobook world at Les Rencontres de la Photographie d'Arles, a fantastic photo festival in the south of France that has been running since 1970. Lukas talks to publishers, artists, fair organizers, and bookshop owners about the festival, the book market, and how the photobook has evolved in a festival environment like Arles. We delve into the thoughts of publishers based in Europe, authors who come all the way from Mexico, and some of the pioneers who started facilitating photobook platforms 20 years ago in festivals such as the one in Arles.

Enjoy this episode with the voices of Salambo Goudal (France Photo Book), Grzegorz Kosmala (Blow Up Press), Matej Sitar (The Angry Bat), Abed Abidat ( Images Plurielles), Benoit Capoddi (Halogenure), Cesar Rodriguez, Zhen Zhi ( La maison Z), Pedro Guimarães  (XYZ Books), Frederic Lezmi (The Photobook Museum),  Thomas Gust (Buchkunst Berlin), Vincent Van Baar (Royal Academy of Art The Hague), Kalin Kruse (Die Nacht) and Delphine Manjard  (Palais du Palais).

Publishers/Bookshops/Books mentioned in the Podcast in order of appearance

• Les Rencontres de la photographie d'Arles   
• France Photobook 
• Blow Up Press  
• The Angry Bat Publishing   
• Images Plurielles  
• Halogenure  
• Benoit Capponi  
• César Rodríguez   
• KWY Editions    
• La Maison Z - 
• The Photobook Museum  
• XYZ LISBON     
• Buchkunst Berlin -  
• Vincent van Baar  
• Royal Academy of Art The Hague  
• Die Nacht Publishing  
• Librairie du Palais   

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In this episode of The Photo Vault, we receive book recommendations from the Istanbul-based artist Cemre Yeşil Gönenli. Her book choices are varied and full of emotional connections to her own journey of becoming a photo artist. Listen to her colourful stories of how books can inspire and change your perspectives. Listen also to a previous episode where we talk with Cemre in detail about her practice and what it’s like to work as an artist in today's Turkey.

References:

• The Chain Chien-Chi Chang
• Sophie Calle take care of your self
• Alec Soth Niagara Steidl /  Mack 2nd Edition
• Elliott Ewitt - Le petit monde 

Cemre’s Books:

• Hayal & Hakikat: A Handbook of Forgiveness & A Handbook of Punishment  - 
• Double Portrait
• For Birds sake  

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