Sleeping in 033

Photographer Carla Kogelman has always been interested in the stories behind the scenes. Her portrait series have won multiple awards at World Press Photo and the Silver Camera, among others. For the Exhibition Sleep! Kogelman made the series Sleeping in 033.

Sleep behavior is very personal; we make ourselves as comfortable as possible, preferably with as few disturbing factors as possible. Documenting sleep rituals is an intimate process, inevitably close to the other and yet also far away, when sleep has set in. Kogelman went out to sleep in her own hometown of Amersfoort. She followed rituals that lower the heart rate before going to bed, such as brushing teeth and reading aloud. And also documented the rituals during a sleepover at her home.

Kogelman portrayed a couple who, because of sleep apnea, both sleep with an assistive device, and followed another couple who - as soon as possible - sleep together in the great outdoors. We see a touching portrait of a widower with a pillow on the bed depicting his deceased wife. We see afternoon naps and daydreamers.

Sleeping in 033 is a combination of special encounters and intimate moments and is the beginning of a series on Sleeping Worldwide for Kogelman. In the Mini Portraits Relay in the City of Amersfoort, Carla Kogelman tells more about the photo series.