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benjaminjosef.bsky.social
benjamin josef
@benjaminjosef.bsky.social
910 followers 360 following 490 posts
dilettante de luxe

“All human knowledge takes the form of interpretation.“

Walter Bendix Schoenflies Benjamin
15 07 1892 Berlin / 26 09 1940 Portbou

dm me for inquiries about fine art prints
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benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- ordinary magic -
place saint-louis metz france
14 07 2025 13:23
a carousel wrapped in veils, waiting in a deserted square. its music silenced, its horses unseen. behind it, old facades watch like quiet witnesses, their windows the eyes of another century. cobblestones stretch forward, heavy with the memory of countless steps, yet no foot disturbs their silence now. this is a portrait of potential, suspended: joy enclosed, time on pause. even the sky seems unsure. clouds gathering, dispersing, unable to decide whether to break or to hold. here, the carousel becomes a metaphor for longing: the longing for motion, for laughter, for the ordinary magic of turning in circles under an indifferent sky. we glimpse the fragility of human rituals, how easily they fold into stillness, and how in that stillness, they quietly endure, waiting to be called back to life.
July 16, 2025 at 8:40 AM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- interplay -
home
21 06 2025 21:02
in this image, time layers itself, the drawing recalls a world of rest and endurance, where camels and bedouins embody a rhythm older than history. yet it is not the figures that speak, but the interplay of shadow and light: a silent dialogue between presence and transience. the sun, filtered through leaves, becomes an echo, suggesting that all permanence is projection, and every image is a resting place for passing light.
June 21, 2025 at 7:20 PM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- join me -
home
19 06 2025 13:07
a table beneath jasmine and time, woven shade casting secrets in stripes. wind chimes speak in slow syllables, while quiet chairs wait for stories told over leaves and light.
June 19, 2025 at 11:16 AM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- fernweh und einkehr -
pizzolungo capri italy
28 04 2016 10:40
a image of mine that reminds me of the deep yearning in caspar david friedrich’s ‘sehnsuchtslandschaften, where the visible is but a veil over the infinite. the jagged rocks rise from the sea like forgotten thoughts of the earth, solitary and eternal, bearing the weight of time. the silhouetted trees bent and reaching, evoke the tender asymmetry of a hasegawa tōhaku pine, their presence both framing and dissolving the scene. here, the horizon breathes a thin line where sky and water converse in whispers. the scene is not one of drama, but of quiet revelation. nature is not a backdrop for man’s striving, but a mirror to his interiority: longing, impermanence, acceptance. as in shinkei’s ink landscapes, mist and emptiness are as vital as form. the photograph resembles this: the open sea is a vastness that invites both melancholy and liberation. In the spirit of romanticism, the viewer is not outside this scene but absorbed by it. the rocks do not merely stand in the sea; they are metaphors of solitude and the sublime indifference of nature. the trees do not simply frame the image; they suggest the ephemeral nature of vision, the partiality of human grasp.
June 8, 2025 at 12:54 PM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- message to all the people -
robertson quay singapore
30 04 2025 21:12
in the quiet veil, love whispers behind soft folds of fabric, a message rests: « love changes everything » its letters not shouted, but suspended, casting shadows that repeat themselves like memories or promises not yet broken. a small emblem, two hands meeting, anchors the words in the realm of gesture and grace, where touch becomes language and presence becomes vow.
June 2, 2025 at 10:25 PM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
May 30, 2025 at 4:38 PM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- fidelity of the everyday -
little india singapore
10 05 2025 19:53
in this image, time stands still; not in the sense that nothing changes, but in the way a rhythm, once found, continues without haste. the scene, framed in black and white, renders a modest corner of little india into something sacred: a continuity of gesture, of labor, of quiet presence. the man behind the counter, with his white cap and weathered hands, becomes more than a vendor, he is a custodian of memory. his actions are not merely economic but ritualistic, shaped by repetition and care. the chapati is not just food; it is the vessel of belonging, of story, of ancestral warmth folded into dough. what’s remarkable is not the nostalgia, but the persistence. in a city that constantly reinvents itself, this place remains unchanged, not by resistance, but by fidelity to something older than progress. perhaps it is fidelity to slowness, to touch, to the trust between strangers that forms over hot meals and worn counters. and so, returning here after fifteen years, you do not find the past, but a continuity, like a phrase that was never interrupted, merely paused until you were ready to listen again.
May 19, 2025 at 8:28 PM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
a fleeting bloom for c
tender as a hush between words,
caught in the light just before it fades.
May 1, 2025 at 3:12 PM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- passing through the frame -
millbank london england
04 04 2025 15:06
in the hush of tate britain, two human figures drift like opposing tides. one drawn into the room of turner’s storm of sail and smoke, the other anchored in the weight of plastic and days lived. a ghost fleet swells behind them, ships dissolving into sea-light and memory, brushstrokes unraveling history as if time were oil on canvas, fluid, fading. their backs to each other, they mirror disconnection, yet hold a silent symmetry in gesture, in pause, in being caught between past and passing. the floor beneath them is still, but the painting moves. and in that subtle motion, turner speaks through shadow and salt, as if to remind: we are all only passing through the frame.
April 4, 2025 at 6:26 PM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- ephemeral echo -
home
09 03 2025 16:50
this image captures the delicate contrast between fragility and permanence. a single tulip, its petals unfolding yet slightly withered, leans from a dark, rounded glass vessel. the vessel itself holds water, light and shadow, mirroring a distorted reality. the reflection hints at impermanence, a fleeting echo of the world outside, captured yet never held. it is a meditation on time …
March 9, 2025 at 5:15 PM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- camellia japonica -
home
02 03 2025 12:09
this is the first bloom I picked from my garden, a simple yet profound offering in a world that feels increasingly fragile. in times of devastation and uncertainty, i wanted to share something quiet, something gentle … a reminder that beauty still exists, even when chaos dominates the headlines. this flower, delicate yet resilient, grew despite everything, untouched by the weight of global conflict. in its soft petals, i see a small but powerful act of defiance against despair. by placing it in this vase, by capturing this moment, i am holding onto hope. i am reminding myself [and whoever may see this] that even in the darkest times, something beautiful can still take root and bloom.
March 2, 2025 at 11:26 AM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- you can never hold back spring -
home
28 02 2025 16:56
in the moment of fading winter’s breath, a whisper of spring leans toward the light. soft tulips, blushing in muted tones, like dawn stretching its limbs after a long, cold night. their graceful stems reaching yet uncertain, as if hesitating between seasons, caught in the delicate liminality where warmth and frost still trade secrets. a vessel of glass, fragile yet steadfast, cradles their gentle longing, while shadows rest in quiet patience, knowing time will turn, and bloom will soon replace the hush of waiting.
February 28, 2025 at 4:10 PM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- quiet reverence -
centro storico naples italy
03 05 2016 15:10
in the hushed solitude of the duomo di napoli, time lingers in quiet reverence. a single wooden desk and an empty chair rest upon the cold, checkered marble floor; silent witnesses to the passage of centuries, to prayers whispered and long forgotten. the air is thick with the weight of memory, the stone walls stained with history. to the left, a grand tomb stands adorned with cherubic figures, their frozen expressions caught between sorrow and serenity. they guard the slumber of the departed, their marble forms resisting the erosion of time. above them, remnants of a faded fresco cling to the wall like a distant echo of divine artistry, its colors muted, as though the past itself is dissolving into the present. light filters in through an unseen source, soft yet piercing, illuminating the rough textures of the ancient masonry. shadows stretch and contract, playing a silent symphony of light and darkness, presence and absence, the eternal dance of mortality. this space, at once sacred and abandoned, invites contemplation. it is a chamber of paradox; a resting place that speaks, a room empty yet full, a fragment of eternity where the living and the dead converse without words. here, one feels the weight of impermanence, the poetry of decay, and the quiet promise that, in the grand stillness of time, all things return to dust, yet never truly disappear.
February 17, 2025 at 9:33 PM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- valentine -
home
14 02 2025 11:06
her lips, crimson like autumn’s last kiss, mesmerizing, linger in my thoughts as i gaze at the solitary bloom. a tulip, fragile yet defiant, curved in a weary arc, its petals whispering secrets of still winter. nestled in a dark-glass vase, its stem stretches toward a distant light, yearning, longing … much like the gaze of the girl in my thoughts. shadows cling to the edges of the room, wrapping the moment in silent reverie. once, this flower stood proud, its head high, bathed in the warmth of an unseen sun. now, it bows; not in defeat, but in quiet acceptance. a beauty untouched by its wilting, a grace unbroken by its fall. the image of the girl is now fading in my thoughts … in that stillness, i realise … there is poetry even in fading …
February 14, 2025 at 3:15 PM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- abandoned -
kerkrade west the netherlands
16 09 2020 14:28
this image whispers of abandonment, a quiet testimony to the passage of time and neglect. the worn tiles and dim reflections speak of forgotten purpose, of spaces once alive now stripped of meaning. my silhouette in the mirror, blurred and indistinct, becomes a ghostly echo of presence; a reminder of self, caught in a place where no one looks anymore. the faint light through the window struggles against the shadows, a fragile hint of hope that fails to conquer the weight of desolation. the empty glass holders and unused sink stand as symbols of futility, remnants of function lost to disrepair. it is a portrait of solitude, a meditation on what is left behind when care is withdrawn. and yet, in its decay, there is a strange beauty; a call to remember, to witness, to confront the void left by neglect.
January 18, 2025 at 5:28 PM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
January 16, 2025 at 7:01 PM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- condensation -
smeermaas belgium
view towards maastricht the netherlands
28 12 2024 11:06
in this image, the sky becomes a canvas of transient whispers, where the story of condensation unfolds in its myriad forms … a symphony of nature, humanity, and impermanence. the contrails slice through the heavens, thin and fleeting, like the paths we carve through life … bold yet ephemeral, vanishing as quickly as they appear. they speak of motion, ambition, and the invisible hand of progress, leaving behind trails that dissolve into nothingness. below, the fog dances over the river, soft and ethereal, a quiet veil between earth and sky. it holds the weight of mystery, the unspoken connection between stillness and flow, as if the water’s soul is exhaling into the morning air. in the distance, industrial plumes rise like manufactured clouds, a reminder of humanity’s grasp on the elements, bending nature to its will. they are the heavy breath of civilization, both triumphant and somber, blurring the line between creation and destruction. and then there are the clouds themselves, ancient witnesses of the world’s rhythms, drifting in their timeless procession. they remind us that condensation is the breath of the universe, cycling endlessly between forms … water to vapor, vapor to mist, mist to memory. each condensation is a moment captured in transition, a mirror to the ephemeral nature of existence. together, they weave a tapestry of interconnection, where sky and earth, human and nature, the fleeting and the eternal, come together in quiet communion.
December 28, 2024 at 11:21 AM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- amaryllis -
home
27 12 2024 12:26
the amaryllis, with its grand and delicate presence, stands as a testament to the paradox of life itself; a union of strength and fragility. its petals, curving outward like whispers of silent poetry, seem to reach beyond their earthly roots, yearning for something infinite. in its monochromatic stillness, the flower speaks not of decay, but of resilience; not of fleeting beauty, but of timeless grace. encased in a simple glass vase, the amaryllis becomes a metaphor for the human spirit … rooted in reality yet daring to bloom in defiance of the mundane. the shadows enveloping it serve as a quiet reminder that beauty thrives even in the darkest corners, transforming the ordinary into the sublime. the contrast between light and dark mirrors the human experience, where moments of brilliance emerge from stillness and contemplation. as we step into a new year, may this image of the amaryllis inspire you to embrace the dualities of life with courage and creativity. may the year ahead be filled with blooming moments of unexpected beauty … to ‘c’, whose poetic captures of flowers transcend mere photography and enter the realm of pure artistry: your work reminds us that beauty is not just seen but felt, and that the simplest of things … a flower, a shadow, a moment can hold the deepest truths. with admiration and best wishes for your continued inspiration in the year to come. ♥︎
December 27, 2024 at 11:52 AM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- perceptions -
home
14 12 2024 23:01
this image is a study in contrasts, a visual embodiment of presence and absence, light and shadow. the white dahlias, so delicate yet resilient, stand as fleeting emissaries of life’s impermanence. their petals, softly illuminated, whisper of beauty’s quiet endurance, even amidst decay. yet it is not the flowers alone that demand our gaze, but the interplay of light. a stained glass window casting its intricate shadows upon a worn wall. the wall, textured and weathered, holds the silent echoes of time. this scene invites a reflection on human perception, on how we see not only what is present but also what is implied. the stained glass, vibrant in its function yet grayscale in this depiction, refracts meaning into the room. the shadows are not mere absences of light but presences in themselves—fluid and shifting, revealing the ungraspable nature of what it means to truly see. phenomenologically, the image calls into question the essence of being. what we see is mediated through contrast: the clarity of form, the ambiguity of shadow, the enduring stillness of objects, and the fleeting temporality of light. the glass vase, holding both the water and the flowers, becomes a vessel not just of a source to life, but of reflection. we are drawn to contemplate how the self, too, is a fragile vessel, transparent, and transient, shaped by the interplay of what illuminates us and what we obscure. this is not merely an image but an encounter. it asks us to consider: is the beauty in the flowers themselves, or in the light that reveals them? is the meaning in the presence of the window, or in the wall it casts its shadows upon? we see, but do we understand? in this still moment, perception becomes a poetic act, a way of touching the world, and being touched by it in return.
December 15, 2024 at 10:34 AM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
herzlichen glückwunsch ulrike
December 15, 2024 at 9:56 AM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- thresholds -
san carlo turin italy
09 04 2019 21:51
a doorway into a ‘ristorante‘, shrouded in shadows and softened by the dimmed glow of twin lanterns, feels like an invitation into another time. this is not merely a restaurant but a portal, framed in quiet elegance, evoking tales of tradition and melancholic intimacy. the neon script above the wooden frame seems to hover like a specter, beckoning the weary and the curious alike. its glow contrasts the subdued darkness, a symbol of life persisting in the quiet corners of the night. behind the glass, reflections blur into reality, hinting at a world within a sanctuary of dimmed warmth and whispered confessions shared over wine. this image holds a tension between the outer stillness and the inner slowed vibrance. it speaks of thresholds, of moments before decisions, of stories unfolding just beyond the frame. here, turin’s timeless charm is captured in a single, evocative pause.
December 13, 2024 at 10:49 AM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- reflecting memories -
galleria subalpina turin italy
10 04 2019 19:53
within the heart of turin, where time blends through heavy drapes and ancient wood, a dining space occurs where stillness rests. this dim-lit sanctuary, captured in silken grayscale, speaks not just of tables and chairs but of stories once shared. curtains cascade like memories, flowing yet tethered, framing a world that exists on the edge of now and then. the emptiness of the tables hums with the echo of laughter once shared, of wine poured, of lives intertwined in intimate moments of joy and reflection. each chair, each glass, traditionally crafted stands as a witness , guarding the intangible … the silence between words, the weight of solitude, the beauty of presence. this is not merely a room … it’s a mirror of humanity’s eternal pause, a reminder that even in quiet, there is life. turin holds this fragment of itself as a mirror, inviting the soul to linger, to ponder: are we the observer, or are we observed?
December 12, 2024 at 8:13 PM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- whispers of forgotten prayers -
old center maastricht the netherlands
15 11 2024 14:53
within a somber courtyard, shadows linger heavy, ancient stone walls stand scarred by time’s unyielding grasp. the emptiness echoes with whispers of forgotten prayers, and the sky broods above, a canvas of bleak uncertainty. the arches seem to mourn for what has been lost, their hollow eyes gazing into an unknowable void. in the center, a stillness … a fountain its purpose obscured, its vitality extinguished. yet amidst the despair, a faint glimmer persists. light breaks, tentative but persistent, through the oppressive clouds. it dances upon the edges of weathered stone, hinting at the resilience of hope, the promise of renewal. even here, in the depths of the past’s decay, the seeds of tomorrow are waiting, unseen but certain. for where shadows reign, light is never far behind, and the silence holds the breath of something yet to come.
December 9, 2024 at 11:22 AM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
- the way i see -
maastricht the netherlands
16 11 2017 21:45
i stood there, camera in hand, heart caught somewhere between reverence and curiosity. the cobblestones beneath our feet felt ancient, as if they had witnessed countless lives, countless stories. beside me was béla tarr, a man whose films had shaped the way i thought about time, space, and existence itself. and yet, here he was—quiet, still, not the legendary filmmaker, but simply a presence, human and real. i couldn’t help it—there was a temptation, an urge to capture this moment, to see if my lens could touch even the edges of how he might view the world. the heavy silence of the air of the cold night, the interplay of light and shadow, the way life seems to stretch infinitely in the simplest of moments - would this all feel like a scene from one of his films? or would my perspective falter in trying to echo his vision? raising the camera, i hesitated. it wasn’t just about taking a photograph of him - or of me. it was about capturing a moment shared, a fragment of time that could hold both our gazes. i wondered if the frame could hold what i felt: the weight of his cinematic philosophy blending with my own fleeting wonder. and then i pressed the shutter, not knowing if i was capturing him or myself - or perhaps something in between. a quiet dialogue etched into the cobblestones, into the pixels of a photograph: his way of seeing, my way of being, both tethered by the timeless act of looking. in that moment, i didn’t just take a photo. i became part of the story i was trying to understand.
December 3, 2024 at 5:33 PM
benjaminjosef.bsky.social
December 1, 2024 at 4:24 PM