The films by Emma van der Put originate from looking closely at urban public space. In her position as an observer, she tries to maintain a balance between empathy and detachment. Even though she is physically part of the crowd, the telescopic lens of her camera is creating a distance, a private space within the public space.

In her films, Van der Put is scanning over the details of photographs she takes within the specific location she is researching and consequently editing her archive into cinematographic photo collages. With an interest in how the future is visualized in the public space of the city, through digital renderings and building plans, the films of Van der Put question what these envisioned forecasts can tell us about our current wishes for the future and for whom exactly the imagined future is intended.

Since 2019, together with Alasdair Asmussen Doyle and Chloé Malcotti, Emma van der Put is organising Level Five Blue Screen, a screening program focussing on visual artists working with video and film. (https://www.instagram.com/levelfivebluescreen/)