Alter house Residence - Number 1: 'Carte de Visite'

At 'Carte de Visite,' you stepped into a space where warmth, togetherness, surprising perspectives, and a diversity of artistic expressions converged. Our exhibition, just as ‘Carte de Visite’ once did, as an opportunity for social interaction among friends and family, providing the opportunity to capture cherished memories. Carefully positioned photographic lighting cast a gentle glow on artworks, revealing the varied mediums in our collection from emerging artists. There were familial elements waiting to be discovered, handed down through generations, interwoven with subtle facets of our collective personality.

You could explore rooms, both light and dark, where you could gather around the table or uncover a different perspective for the evening.

‘Carte de Visite’ cards were previously used for social sharing among friends and family, popular in the second half of the 19th century, and were meant to capture and preserve memories and portrets in a portable format. A well-known Dutch carte de visite photographer was I. Kiek, to whom the term “Kiekje” is attributed.

*All photos were taken by I’m Studio Amsterdam.