“Photography has to do with compassion”

Having worked for twelve years as a photographer and set designer for the Netherlands Dance Theatre (he has also worked for the Sydney Opera House) Sven was on his way to Australia when he decided to stop over in India. He visited Auroville, and stayed. It was December, 1988. “I wanted to leave behind that whole way of life that was predictable. I wanted to be in a place which was more in tune with things of the heart.”

In Auroville, Sven did not immediately take up photography again. He started working with Village Action, but after some time started to document their work. “After that, I came up with the idea to make postcards about India because I couldn’t find any cards that I liked.”

His unit, Joy Postcards, opened in 1991. Now his cards sell in major cities all over India and in other countries as well. Many cards are not the usual scenic souvenir-type postcards found elsewhere. They often depict spontaneous moments of connection or joy. Or they catch the quirkiness, the unpredictable beauty or depths of life on the streets or in the fields of India.

Sven enjoys getting involved, shooting something as it unfolds around him, which is why he mainly uses a wide-angle lens. “Especially in the south, people are so friendly, so direct. I can get-up close and be a part of what is going on. The Tamil people allow that. They don’t have the same sense of privacy as us. Here in Tamil Nadu you can look people in the eye, it’s very simple, not loaded or charged with anything. It lets you feel part of something universal. “

What is he looking for when he takes photos? “Usually it is the things that move me or touch me in some way. It’s when people open up, revealing something about their character, about their joy or their pain. I have a deep love for India, its nature and people, and for me photography has to do with a sense of compassion, of feeling connected and involved with others. This is my main motivation - and why I have chosen ‘communication’ as the theme of these photo pages. If I’m touched by something I like to capture it, through movement, emotion, colour or humour. I’m the medium for these moments. And then I have the joy of sharing it with others.”

He admits, however, that his best-selling cards are not always the ones that have touched him most. “People only see the photo and have of course not experienced the atmosphere of the moment I took it.” One thing which is noticeable is that few of his cards feature Auroville. Why? “It is difficult to catch Auroville in a photo, apart from obvious subjects like the Matrimandir. Another reason is that I have discovered that Auroville, postcard-wise, is not so in demand with the general Indian public. In any case, there are other Aurovilians making postcards on Auroville topics.”

There is no shortage of other subjects. “On the road from Auroville to Pondy you pass the whole human parade. On every corner there is something else. And there’s great beauty all around.”