First of all thank you very much for your contribution to our project. Can you please introduce yourself for us?

I’m a Dutch photographer who studied documentary photography at the 'Royal Academy of Arts' in The Netherlands. I graduated in 2018. Since then, I have been working on several projects exploring the relationships between individuals and with their personal environment. I'm especially interested in the physical and emotional (dis)connection and uses the body and landscape as a sculptural tool to explore this.

What inspires your work?

My inspiration comes from daily life. I’m especially inspired by the city and the way we can relate to it. I’m interested in public space and have a fascination for the streets we all walk everyday. I’m curious how we move our bodies in this space and how we relate to this space; both physically as mentally. With that being said, I’m also very inspired by movement in general, ranging from a contemporary performance piece to the movement of a girl on the street. Also, I think a lot about how we as humans psychically and mentally relate to each other. With my work I try to explore these subjects.

What is 'The City is a Choreography' about?

'The City is a Choreography' explores the contemporary city. The project consists of street scenes and portraits in public spaces that probes the disconnection between the city and the youth that reside within. With special attention to the sculptural qualities of the body and the relationship between space and individual, and between each other, the city always hums in the background of the images. 'The City is a Choreography’ explores the escape from daily routine of everyday life and how the urban environment can be perceived with both eyes and body.

Who are your favourite photographers / artists?

I am always fascinated by the beautiful works of Viviane Sassen, Gillian Wearing, Joanna Piotrowska and Tracy Emin and Egon Schiele.

What is your favourite movie?

Stanley Kubrik - Full Metal Jacket.

What is your favourite photo book?

'A Beautiful Catastrophe' by Bruce Gilden. It may seem as a strange fit but it was the first photobook I ever owned. I got it from someone when I was 17. When I first got it I didn’t understand the work at all, I actually thought it was ‘ugly’. I put it away for years and when I came back to it I fell in love with the raw, intense, emotional images I found in the book. I saw it completely different and I love the way he captures the streets with such obsession.

Thank you very much for your time and your contribution to analog magazine.

All images © Melissa Schriek

Melissa's work was featured in our Tenth Printed Issue published in 2018 that you can purchase here.