Near Amsterdam, nestled on a transient plot known as the Landje, Max, a 28-year-old, has chosen a life less ordinary. He lives in a caravan community supported by the municipality. This community embodies a countercultural response to urban living, prioritising a liberal, creative lifestyle free from societal pressures. Through Max's story photographed by Nynke Brandsma, we are invited to question our perceptions of normalcy and explore the profound lessons offered by life on the fringes.

‍

Published in issue #2 2024, Human Narratives

‍

Nynke Brandsma: Max is 28 years old and the youngest resident of the Landje, a small piece of land in Amsterdam. The municipality facilitates its location, which changes every two to three years. More than forty residents live on this small piece of land. They live in caravans and usually lead a liberal, creative, and small-scale life.

‍

For many residents, participating in ordinary life is not possible due to psychological problems. For some, the Landje offers the solution—a place where they can 'be'—for most people without a phone and social pressure but with the freedom to shape the life that suits them. That offers freedom and sometimes looks like a lovely holiday, but in winter, it also offers the necessary hardships.

‍

Max enjoys his life on the Landje. It is a conscious choice. And I enjoy visiting him, wondering whether life for him on the Landje is a choice or an escape. The Landje is a counterculture to life in the city and allows me to move between resistance and desire. Is this freedom? What can I learn from these people? And why do I want to go back every time?

‍

Max's story invites us to step outside our comfort zone, reevaluate our definitions of "normal," and discover the beauty that exists on the margins of societal norms. With Max's work, I hope to encourage people to judge less.

‍

‍About

Nynke Brandsma (1986, living in Amsterdam) studied at the University of Applied Photography and the Photoacademy in Amsterdam. She is part of the &C Talent Academy and collective The Movement. Her work engages with perceptions of the theme of identity, questioning how to encourage people to judge less. With both documentary and autonomous work, she explores her own life and subjects that catch her attention.

‍

www.nynkebrandsma.com