ISLAND | Daniel Nicolas

Description

ISLAND is a photo book about the Havenstraat and the Karperweg (Havenstraatterrein) in Amsterdam, one of the last fringe areas within the city.
I spent two years (2021-2023) photographing the area, and the people that worked, lived or acted out their hobbies there.
It was a rough place built up of Quonset huts and shacks. The interesting thing is that it was located within the city, on expensive land. It was like a tiny island surrounded by city.
Places like this are important but don’t stand a chance in cities that are rapidly gentrifying.

There was a thrift store, a clothing outlet, a guy who repaired old military vehicles, a harpsichord builder, a few artists, a bicycle repair shop, a place where old trams were restored, a beer brewery, a special effects expert, scrap metal recycling, a garage, several hobbyists, some animals, a handful of residents, and more.
They were a group of extraordinary individuals who formed a community because of the place and the situation they were in. Here they found a place where they could live, work, and be, in a way that wouldn’t have been possible anywhere else in the city.
The area was shut down on 6 March 2024.

ISLAND is a beautiful memory for the city but it’s more than that: It’s a tribute to places like this, all around the world, that disappeared for the same reasons.