mirjamsvideos

I grew up in the Netherlands, in a house that more resembled a zoo. The greatest spectacle my father had ever made, was a 20 square meter rainforest in the attic where hummingbirds flew around and frogs and lizards were trying their best not to be seen.
With my parents I learned to see that which often goes unnoticed, to appreciate that which is silent, small, pure, magnificent.

Years later, during my studies in Photography I encountered some words in a philosopher´s writings that said that: “A feeling of sadness arises in people, when looking at a beautiful work of art or being in a beautiful piece of nature. It reminds them of the absence of this beauty in normal days and they wonder, why not everyday life can be like this.” From then on I set out to show that daily life can be like that, that beauty is everywhere, for those who are willing to see it.

The change from photography to video came by pure chance. Though the videos still hold to their photographic roots, the change to include time was a necessary step to take to show the pure beauty of daily life, which is all dances of subtle change over time.

I travel as much as I can. Seeing new places and different ways of living, has greatly enriched my life and my work: I followed trails of ants, I hugged stray cats while the inhabitants of the city set cars on fire and ran screaming through the streets. I floated above the earth in cable carts, saw insects that can walk on water, bought a flower from a person without a job, drank too many coffees and didn't sleep. A bug got lost in my hair, I searched for lizards in the parks, I watched the dust flying around in hotel rooms and the birds in the sky.
Still, many of the videos were shot in or from my own living room, even through the bathroom window.