STREET PHOTOGRAPHER. “We all do people watching. Open and exposed, although fortunately not literally” (Antwerp)

Antwerp through the lens of Marc Pennartz.

When the sun hangs its copper head over Belgium after months of staying in other places, you also see it increasing rapidly in Antwerp: the people watching. They are most numerous on the strategically located De Keyserlei, the boulevard of people watching. The area around it is the starting point for thousands of walks every day, and the cafes and restaurants invite blissful idleness and incessant viewing. It is a street of seeing and being seen, where passers-by and decor enter into dialogue unnoticed.

We all people watch. Often fleeting, sometimes conscious and intense. On the beach, in the park, from the terrace. We use it to bridge silent moments in a conversation. We do it because something in the corner of our eye catches our attention, while daydreaming or as our main activity. And especially on a morning with nice weather after months of grayness, like on the day of this photo.

Every passerby, every group that strolls towards the center or station, raises questions that never get an answer. Sometimes you ask them in silence, sometimes to your patio partner. You wonder where people come from, what relationship they have with each other, what worries them, why their child whines so much, whether that handbag is vintage or from a Chinese webshop.

People watching is not the same as spying. We do people watching without any malicious intentions. Open and exposed, although fortunately not literally. And automatically. People watching is necessary, because it preserves our species. It warns of danger and unpleasant encounters. About how we behave. And it helps us discover love. You just have to look at the true one.

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