Magnum Photography Awards 2016 Session with Jim Goldberg

For this project I have visited 42 capital cities in 42 European countries where I photographed people crossing busy intersections. I set out on a journey across Europe and captured the crowds getting from one side of the street to the other, right after that traffic light finally jumped to green. From Bucharest to Bratislava, from Valletta to Pristina and from Reykjavik to Rome, I tried to freeze the rhythm of the city in each of the 42 European capital cities. Not only do these images portray everyday street life across Europe, they also show the various cultures, while at the same time illustrating the continent-wide similarities. "I discovered that even by watching people traverse the street we may find that what makes us Europeans together is as much our similarities as our differences.” Photographing European crossings also made me think about the European Dream: “Europe as an idea could be realised, but it will require a great deal of effort. It will not be achieved overnight. It will require interest and real concern. We must meet the other with empathy. And when we go abroad, we need to keep an open mind and not bother too much about giving up some of the customs of home. Only then may we learn to truly appreciate the beautiful diversity of Europe’s countries and ways of life. I know I would be sorry to see this diversity disappear for the sake of commercial gain.” And I am on the move! This project grows with time into a new project: Crossing the USA. It will be a journey across the United States of America. Again I will go to all capital cities but now in all 50 States of America. I'll move in may 2017 for the first road trip. www.crossingtheusa.nl on FB: https://www.facebook.com/Poikecrossingtheusa/ more about my Crossing Europe series www.poike.nl