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A 3D render of a sleek, curved blue surface that resembles a wing or a fin. The surface is filled with shimmering, caustic light patterns like sunlight reflecting through water.

Photographer Lonneke Van Der Palen plays with your mind with alternative holiday snaps

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Date
30 May 2013

Dutch photographer Lonneke Van Der Palen has received a lot of attention recently for her Souvenir series, and rightly so. Subtitled Memories of a journey never made, it’s an extraordinary collection of images which mixes imagined holiday staples – like a rolling wave, a sunset and even the Egyptian pyramids recreated in her studio – with surreal abstract still-lifes and even the odd portrait. It’s difficult to describe quite why these photographs worm their way into your mind so effectively but it’s something about the lurid colours and range of textures combining to give the whole series a slightly disconcerting dream-like feel.

A person wearing a wide-brimmed beige cowboy hat and a dark denim shirt. They have a beard and a lit cigarette in their mouth, set against a bright red background.
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Lonneke Van Der Palen: Souvenir

A stack of white sugar cubes arranged into a rough pyramid shape. The structure sits on a white surface against a solid black background.
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Lonneke Van Der Palen: Souvenir

Three cork pyramids of varying sizes sit on a sandy surface. A bright pink background creates a sharp contrast behind the scene.
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Lonneke Van Der Palen: Souvenir

A collage of a bright white sun setting over a blue sea. The water is represented by a piece of crinkled, reflective blue foil against a gradient pink and orange sky.
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Lonneke Van Der Palen: Souvenir

Three abstract buildings made from Lego bricks stand against a bright blue background. A tall yellow tower is flanked by a smaller orange structure and a red building with a white crenellated top.
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Lonneke Van Der Palen: Souvenir

A person with red hair tied in a bun stands with their back to the camera. They wear a structured ochre jacket and look out over a landscape of jagged, snow-capped mountains.
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Lonneke Van Der Palen: Souvenir

A tall tower of colourful cereal loops is stacked on a white plate. The loops are piled high against a plain blue background, resting on a red and white gingham tablecloth.
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Lonneke Van Der Palen: Souvenir

A person with long blonde hair looks directly at the camera with a neutral expression. They wear a colourful, patterned knit sweater featuring landscapes and animals against a backdrop of a forest and lake.
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Lonneke Van Der Palen: Souvenir

A single orange-coloured fruit is encased in a red plastic mesh bag. It is centred against a solid black background.
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Lonneke Van Der Palen: Souvenir

A 3D render of a shimmering blue surface that curves and folds like a sheet of fabric. The material has a caustic, water-like texture and is set against a plain blue background.
Above

Lonneke Van Der Palen: Souvenir

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

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Rob Alderson is a freelance writer, editor and strategist. He was previously editor-in-chief of It’s Nice That and WePresent, and editor of Design Week. He publishes the newsletter Undo, which tries to make sense of how AI is changing design work, the design process and the design industry.

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