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This Long-awaited first retrospective chronicles the career of Belgian photographer John Vink, who began contributing to Libe?ration in 1985. His personal project Water in the Sahel won the Eugene Smith Prize in 1986, showcasing his commitment to capturing the human experience in difficult environments. As a founding member of Agence VU, Vink documented refugee camps globally. It allowed him to become a full member at Magnum Photos in 1997, which he would remain until 2017. His Peuples d'En Haut series highlights the resilience and cultural identity of mountain communities, such as the Mam in Guatemala and the Hmong in Laos. After years of travel, Vink settled in Cambodia in 2000, allowing him to engage more deeply with a single culture. Now based in Brussels, he continues to inspire through his powerful visual storytelling that explores themes of identity and humanity. With a text contribution by Rik Van Puymbroeck. Published to accompany John Vink's retrospective exhibition at Muse?e de la Photographie in Charleroi, Belgium from May 24 to September 21, 2025.
Diese lang erwartete erste Retrospektive zeichnet die Karriere des belgischen Fotografen John Vink nach, der 1985 seine Arbeit für die französische Tageszeitung Libération aufnahm. Seine persönliche Reportage Water in the Sahel wurde 1986 mit dem Eugene-Smith-Preis ausgezeichnet und zeigt sein Engagement, die menschlichen Erfahrungen in lebensfeindlichen Umgebungen einzufangen. Als Gründungsmitglied der Agence VU dokumentierte Vink Flüchtlingslager auf der ganzen Welt. Dadurch wurde er 1997 Vollmitglied von Magnum Photos, was er bis 2017 bleiben sollte. Seine Chroniken Peuples d'En Haut beleuchtet die Widerstandsfähigkeit und kulturelle Identität von Berggemeinschaften wie den Mam in Guatemala und den Hmong in Laos. Nach langen Jahren des Reisens ließ sich Vink im Jahr 2000 in Kambodscha nieder, wo er sich intensiver mit einer einzigen Kultur auseinandersetzen konnte. Heute lebt er in Brüssel und inspiriert weiterhin durch seine kraftvollen visuellen Erzählungen, die sich mit Themen wie Identität und Menschlichkeit auseinandersetzen. Mit einem Textbeitrag von Rik Van Puymbroeck. Veröffentlicht anlässlich der Retrospektive von John Vink im Musée de la Photographie in Charleroi, Belgien, 24. Mai bis 21. September 2025.
The work of the Eugene Smith Prize award winner whose photographs taken over decades and around the globe reflect the themes of identity, survival, and resilience of marginalized and remote communities.
This book chronicles the career of Belgian photographer John Vink, who began contributing to Libe´ration in 1985. His personal project Water in the Sahel won the Eugene Smith Prize in 1986, showcasing his commitment to capturing the human experience in difficult environments.
As a founding member of Agence VU, Vink documented refugee camps globally. It allowed him to become a full member at Magnum Photos in 1997, which he would remain until 2017.
His Peuples d’En Haut series highlights the resilience and cultural identity of mountain communities, such as the Mam in Guatemala and the Hmong in Laos. After years of travel, Vink settled in Cambodia in 2000, allowing him to engage more deeply with a single culture. Now based in Brussels, he continues to inspire through his powerful visual storytelling that explores themes of identity and humanity. With a text contribution by Rik Van Puymbroeck.
