Last September, photographer Lieve Colruyt (1956-2024) passed away. We remember her as a highly driven and committed photographer and teacher. Her commitment was already evident during her studies at the Ghent Academy. With a few fellow students, she founded the group GeF (Committed Photographers). GeF documented the vigorous protests in the 1970s against rising tuition fees at universities and colleges.
After her studies, Lieve began working as a freelance press photographer. She belonged to the generation of Michiel Hendryckx, Patrick De Spiegelaere, and Filip Claus, among others, who, during the 1980s, respectively, in De Standaard and even more so in De Morgen , defined the face of the newspaper with their powerful black-and-white photographs. Their photos stood alone, more than simply illustrating a text. They commanded respect and recognition for the photographer as author.
At the same time, Lieve Colruyt displayed undeniable social commitment. As a young visual journalist, she reported in Romania, Nicaragua, Eritrea, on the Polisario Front, and other conflict zones in the 1980s. Her work closer to home also demonstrates a deep commitment. She photographed workers on the Volvo assembly lines and in now-defunct textile factories. She followed strikes and occupations, and was present at demonstrations and rallies. What will remain most memorable, however, is the way she closely and empathetically followed the first generation(s) of Turkish migrants in Ghent. An interest that remained even after her work as an art lecturer at Ghent University College increasingly pushed her reportage into the background.
The period in which Lieve Colruyt began photographing also coincided with the founding of AMSAB. Our paths crossed several times, and AMSAB gratefully utilized her photos. Several of her gems were featured in the 1994 exhibition and eponymous publication, " Written with Light ." We are also deeply grateful that Lieve entrusted her entire analog archive to Amsab-ISG (AMSAB changed its name in 2000) a few years ago. Since then, the negatives have been steadily digitized, and nearly 800 photos are now available for consultation in the online catalog. The photos and exhibition posters offer a wonderful overview of her work and the final decades of the 20th century.
Photographer Lieve Colruyt, 1981. Photo: Walter De Mulder. © Krista De Mulder
In November, the driven Paul Staes (1945-2024) passed away. As a journalist, he devoted considerable attention to the environment, spatial planning, and urban issues from a young age. As a staff member at the King Baudouin Foundation, he also supported various nature- and environment-related projects. He was a driving force behind, among others, the Schotens Actiecomité Leefmilieu (Schal), Red de Voorkempen (Save the Voorkempen), the Belgian-Dutch Border Consultation Antwerp Region (Benegora), and the Environment working group of the General Dutch Congress. As a green activist, he was involved with the political party Agalev from its inception, even becoming a Member of the European Parliament. Later, he attempted to put his green ideology on the political agenda as a "green advocate" with the CVP (Christian People's Party for Freedom and Democracy) and later with Open VLD (Open Liberals and Democrats).
Paul Staes entrusted his voluminous archive, comprising over 100 boxes, to Amsab-ISG for safekeeping, where the archives of Red de Voorkempen and Benegora were also housed.
Agalev action with Paul Staes, among others, in the 1990s. Photo: © Gerrit Op de Beeck
