Who, What, When, Where

The interactive installation W4 (Who, What, Where, When) by Geert Mul displays more than 100,000 digitized photographs on a life-sized screen. Visitors can explore at their own pace and engage with the exhibition by searching through four categories: Who (photographer), What (subject), Where (location), and When (date). This search engine is part of the knowledge center of the Nederlands Fotomuseum and draws from 185 years of photography.

The installation is operated through four consoles, each equipped with its own lever. This setup requires collaboration between multiple visitors, encouraging collective exploration of the digital archive. It becomes a visual, interactive journey in which, for example, Ed van der Elsken’s love story in Paris can be brought to life on screen.

The installation measures 5 meters wide and 2.7 meters high. The software was developed by Carlo Prelz. The work is located in the Las Palmas building in Rotterdam and was completed in 2007, commissioned by the Nederlands Fotomuseum. Mothership created the concept and design and was responsible for the coordination and execution of the project.