Photographer Guido Nuyts from Kalmthout (Antwerp Province) has won the Grand Prize for Social Photography for a series on Antwerp’s launderettes (or laundromats). The prize is awarded by Linx+, a Flemish socio-cultural organisation affiliated to the socialist trade union. “In every neighbourhood, you’ll find a different kind of launderette and a different clientele. A launderette is actually a place for everyone,” says the photographer, reflecting on his award-winning series.
Guido Nuyts wins Social Photography Grand Prix with a series on Antwerp's launderettes
Colin Clapson
Published:
Guido Nuyts began the series as a photographic project focusing on the architecture of launderettes, but his attention soon shifted to the people who gather there. “As soon as I walked in, I saw how people help one another, chat to each other or simply wait together until the washing is done. I found that much more interesting than just the buildings,” says Nuyts.
During the project, in which he captured no fewer than 32 launderettes on camera, the photographer discovered launderettes are much more than just a place where you wash your clothes. “Everyone wants to look their best, regardless of their skin colour or the language they speak. That’s something very human. Through my photographs, I want to show people in their dignity.”
‘A place for everyone’
What stands out in the photographs is the diverse crowd that Nuyts was able to capture. Students, newcomers, people who live in bedsits or don’t have their own washing machine: they all make use of the same space, says Nuyts.
‘In every neighbourhood in the city, you’ll find a different kind of laundrette and a different sort of clientele. You see that much less in the countryside. A laundrette is actually a place for everyone. Sometimes you’ll see a student there, sometimes someone who’s just arrived in Belgium, sometimes someone who just wants to shelter from the cold. That’s what I wanted to show in this series.’
“Some people are reading a book, others are working on their laptops, eating together or helping someone who doesn’t understand how the machines work. These are small encounters you wouldn’t immediately expect, but which reveal a lot about life in the city.”
Interest began as a child
How does someone become fascinated by laundrettes? It all began during Nuyts’s childhood, he explains. “As a child, I was fascinated by the washing hanging out to dry. My grandparents still did the washing in a wash tub with warm water heated on a stove. When you compare that to the situation today, I think it's really fascinating.”
Visit the exhibition
Nuyts’s photographs can be viewed at a free exhibition at the Ons Huis community centre in Ghent from 14 to 16 August. More information about the exhibition can be found on the Linx+ website .