Rituals of belonging - Traditions around the world
Across cultures, rituals mark moments of belonging. They shape how communities gather, remember, and pass meaning from one generation to the next. Rituals of Belonging is a photographic series observing traditions encountered in different parts of the world.
These rituals take many forms — public and private, solemn and celebratory. They unfold through repeated gestures, clothing, movement, and shared attention. While their meanings are rooted in specific cultural contexts, the act of coming together is universal.
The photographs do not aim to explain or interpret these traditions, but to witness them. They focus on moments of preparation, participation, and pause, where individual presence merges into collective experience. Attention is given to atmosphere as much as to action.
Rituals of Belonging reflects how traditions create continuity in a changing world. Through ritual, people affirm identity, community, and place — expressing a shared need to belong.
Día De Los Muertos - México
Día de los Muertos is a celebration shaped by remembrance. Through ritual, color, and gathering, the living honor those who have passed. This photographic series observes moments of procession, pause, and celebration where memory becomes visible.
The images focus on presence rather than spectacle — on gestures, expressions, and shared attention. Together, they reflect a tradition in which mourning and celebration exist side by side, and remembrance becomes a collective act.
Shrimp fishermen - Koksijde
Along the shoreline of Koksijde, shrimp fishing on horseback continues as a living tradition. Guided by tide, wind, and rhythm, fishermen and horses move through shallow waters using methods passed down through generations.
This photographic series observes moments of work and waiting, where human, animal, and sea act in quiet coordination. The images focus on repetition and presence, reflecting a practice rooted in place, memory, and continuity.
Saint Veronus - Lembeek
Each year in Lembeek, the procession of Saint Veronus brings together faith, tradition, and community. Rooted in centuries-old devotion, the ritual unfolds through movement, repetition, and shared attention.
This photographic series observes moments along the procession — gestures, expressions, and pauses — where individual belief becomes collective presence. Rather than documenting the event in its entirety, the images focus on atmosphere and participation, reflecting how tradition continues through those who carry it forward.
Carnival - Halle
Each year, Carnival transforms the streets of Halle into a space of reversal and release. Costumes, music, and movement take over the city, blurring the lines between performer and spectator.
This photographic series observes moments within the celebration — gestures, encounters, and expressions shaped by collective rhythm. Beneath the humor and excess, the images reflect a shared tradition rooted in participation, where identity becomes fluid and the city briefly belongs to play, noise, and community.
