Further musings on Imagerie
Some further thoughts on Imagerie.
Isn't it surprising how all of this comes into being? It all started a couple of years ago by me picking up a conversation on a photography forum. I was intrigued by the sensible and knowledgeable contributions from one of the forum members, which happened to be Johan Doumont. His website reinforced the impression of solid expertise and a sober, modest outlook on the world. I contacted him and we embarked quickly on an online conversation that comprises up to now more that 4500 messages. Of course, it took many conversations with Pol and Frans later on too to bring us op to this point.
Chaos theory tells us that a slight change in initial conditions in a system may have huge repercussions further down. This insight does not only apply to physical systems, but also when we navigate our own socially constructed opportunity space. It's only a message in a forum, but you jump on it and, hey, there is a bifurcation that over time leads you to somewhere you'd never imagine you would come. I believe there each and every day is littered with these kinds of opportunities. We just have to be sensitive to them.
I'm quite willng to make assumptions about the success of Imagerie. We've got a good team, solid expertise and plenty of ideas. It will be a success, but it will take time. We will need to convince people that we are offering a genuine extra compared to the countless subsidised, mom-and-pop initiatives around here in Flanders. It's something novel here, and Belgians are notoriously slow to warm to new ideas.
I'm looking forward to make the balance after our first year. Depending upon our progress, we can widen our scope and move beyond Flemish borders. Frans is putting infrastructure to this end in place. It can only get better ... ;-)
A final word on the image on the cover of our brochure (see previous posting). It's a quintessential Johan Doumont photo: understated, minimalist, uncompromising but respectful, and with a tinge of humour and mystery. I think it is an irresistible image.
Isn't it surprising how all of this comes into being? It all started a couple of years ago by me picking up a conversation on a photography forum. I was intrigued by the sensible and knowledgeable contributions from one of the forum members, which happened to be Johan Doumont. His website reinforced the impression of solid expertise and a sober, modest outlook on the world. I contacted him and we embarked quickly on an online conversation that comprises up to now more that 4500 messages. Of course, it took many conversations with Pol and Frans later on too to bring us op to this point.
Chaos theory tells us that a slight change in initial conditions in a system may have huge repercussions further down. This insight does not only apply to physical systems, but also when we navigate our own socially constructed opportunity space. It's only a message in a forum, but you jump on it and, hey, there is a bifurcation that over time leads you to somewhere you'd never imagine you would come. I believe there each and every day is littered with these kinds of opportunities. We just have to be sensitive to them.
I'm quite willng to make assumptions about the success of Imagerie. We've got a good team, solid expertise and plenty of ideas. It will be a success, but it will take time. We will need to convince people that we are offering a genuine extra compared to the countless subsidised, mom-and-pop initiatives around here in Flanders. It's something novel here, and Belgians are notoriously slow to warm to new ideas.
I'm looking forward to make the balance after our first year. Depending upon our progress, we can widen our scope and move beyond Flemish borders. Frans is putting infrastructure to this end in place. It can only get better ... ;-)
A final word on the image on the cover of our brochure (see previous posting). It's a quintessential Johan Doumont photo: understated, minimalist, uncompromising but respectful, and with a tinge of humour and mystery. I think it is an irresistible image.
posted by Philippe at
2:18 PM
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