PodcastsArtsThe Photo Vault: A journey into Vernacular Photography, Archives and Photobooks

The Photo Vault: A journey into Vernacular Photography, Archives and Photobooks

Lukas Birk
The Photo Vault: A journey into Vernacular Photography, Archives and Photobooks
Latest episode

24 episodes

  • The Photo Vault: A journey into Vernacular Photography, Archives and Photobooks

    CHANTAL RENS - cut glue stick combine Vernacular collage art

    16/06/2025 | 27 mins.
    In this episode, we hear from an artist who, according to reliable sources, is BIG IN JAPAN—Dutch artist Chantal Rens. Her lifelong obsession with collecting has shaped her into a collage artist creating surrealist images brimming with fantasy and a hint of desire. What she desires, we’ll uncover in this conversation. A favorite quote: “If people see my work, they get happy”—something rarely said about contemporary art.
    Listen as Chantal, in her own words, makes art out of "useless stuff," bringing a unique touch of humor to her creations.

    Follow us on Instagram:
    @Vernacular Social Club
    @Lukas Birk

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  • The Photo Vault: A journey into Vernacular Photography, Archives and Photobooks

    KURT TONG - books that inspire you / Bram Stoker / Mike Flanagan / Philip Pullman

    08/03/2025 | 3 mins.
    Welcome to the Photo Vault, featuring books that inspire you! Today, we’re exploring the work of one of my favorite storytellers in the form of a photo book that uses a lot of vernacular photography—Kurt Tong. Listen to this episode to gain insight into why he values these three bodies of work.

    Dracula - Bram Stoker 
    The Haunting of Bly Manor - Mike Flanagan 
    Philip Pullman - His Dark Material  

    Follow us on Instagram:
    @Vernacular Social Club
    @Lukas Birk

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  • The Photo Vault: A journey into Vernacular Photography, Archives and Photobooks

    ROY NG - neo-colonialism / cultural agenda / photography

    01/02/2025 | 37 mins.
    In this episode, I take you to Singapore, where I attended the Singapore International Photo Festival with the Myanmar Photo Archive. During my time there, I met Roy Ng, a curator at the National Gallery Singapore. Our conversation quickly turned into a deep dive into the evolving cultural landscape of Singapore—how the city-state is positioning itself as a regional cultural hub, the complexities of representation, and the role of institutions in shaping artistic narratives. Roy shares his insights on decolonization, the challenges of curating national identity, and the global structures of art history. Join me as we explore these themes and more in a fascinating discussion about art, institutions, and cultural memory.

    National Gallery 
    Myanmar Photo Archive
    The Buddhist Archive
    Rumah Abu: Death and the Photographic Medium in Straits Chinese Ancestral Halls

    Follow us on Instagram:
    @Vernacular Social Club
    @Lukas Birk

    Become a Vernacular Social Club member
  • The Photo Vault: A journey into Vernacular Photography, Archives and Photobooks

    CHIARA CAPODICI - Creating accessibility for photo books

    07/01/2025 | 42 mins.
    In this episode of The Photo Vault, we speak with the wonderfully insightful Chiara Capodici about her experience in the photobook world. From the "mythical times" in Europe 20 years ago to today's bookselling landscape, portfolio reviews, and photobook publishing, Chiara shares her journey and perspectives.
    Chiara runs Leporello Books in Rome, Italy—a bookshop primarily devoted to photography, graphic design, architecture, and illustration. It also serves as an exhibition space focused on books and images, promoting a multidisciplinary approach to visual culture.
    In addition, Chiara teaches, curates, and creates across a broad range of photography-related topics.
    Find links here to people and places mentioned in the episode:
    Leporello Books
    Sebastian Hau  
    Sugarpaper 
    Markus Schaden & Frederic Lezmi  

    Follow us on Instagram:
    @Vernacular Social Club
    @Lukas Birk

    Become a Vernacular Social Club member
  • The Photo Vault: A journey into Vernacular Photography, Archives and Photobooks

    CHANTAL RENS - books that inspire you: Diekman Miep / Hans van der Meer / Roland Topor

    13/12/2024 | 6 mins.
    We all need inspiration, and books can certainly provide it. Today, we explore some wonderfully unusual inspirations from Dutch collage artist Chantal Rens. Her book selections stem from her deep love for animals. Discover more through her descriptions, and see links to the books she discusses below:
    Mijn lama, Diekman Miep 
    Counting sheep  Hans van der Meer 
    erik Kessel - in almost every picture 9
    SOUVENIR - ROLAND TOPOR 

    Follow us on Instagram:
    @Vernacular Social Club
    @Lukas Birk

    Become a Vernacular Social Club member

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About The Photo Vault: A journey into Vernacular Photography, Archives and Photobooks

Welcome to The Photo Vault. Our host, Lukas Birk, takes you on a voyage filled with exclusive on sight interviews featuring renowned artists who draw inspiration from vernacular photography, collectors who have dedicated their lives to amassing incredible troves of images, and curators who curate exhibitions that bridge the gap between past and present. The Photo Vault steps into a hidden world filled with forgotten snapshots, dusty family albums, and gems of visual history to be uncovered. Join us as we embark on an exhilarating tour into the heart of collecting, curating and creating artworks and photobooks with archival materials around the globe. The Photo Vault is part of the Vernacular Social Club, a platform that brings together people who share a common interest in the Vernacular world www.vernacularsocialclub.comThe host:Lukas Birk, is an Austrian researcher, artist, and publisher who primarily focuses on archival narratives and edits stories from South and Southeast Asia. He founded the Myanmar Photo Archive, the Afghan Box Camera Project, SewonArtSpace in Yogyakarta, and the Austro Sino Arts Program in Beijing. As well as a boutique camera Manufacture producing the Instant Box Camera and an independent photobook publishing project called Fraglich Publishing.
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