Skip to main content

The story of the tragic photographer and his lonely Amsterdam

Have you ever wondered how some IKEA wall pictures came to be? This is the story of VILSHULT, a nondescript ready-to-mount photo of Amsterdam. I’ve passed by it many times at my local IKEA and never gave it more than a glance. That is until I heard the moving story behind it and the photographer who went missing. Now I’m wondering where in my home to hang this moody shot of a canal and a lonely bicycle in Amsterdam.

VILSHULT wall pictures

VILSHULT picture | IKEA.com

Now, all this background research came about when Tom Roes, a director based in Amsterdam, bought the VILSHULT for his living room. Then strange things started happening, besides his friends lambasting him for hanging such a “mediocre” photo of Amsterdam.

He wondered, “Who made this photo, why was it made, and how did it end up at IKEA?”

According to him in his documentary, he began seeing the poster everywhere and he meant E V E R Y W H E R E – at the butcher shop near him, a bike shop, restaurants and homes all over the globe. That triggered his curiosity and he wondered, “Who made this photo, why was it made, and how did it end up at IKEA?”

VILSHULT wall pictures

The photo hanging in Tom Roes’ living room | Source: PetaPixel.com and Tom Roes

Turns out, the photo was shot by Argentinian photographer, Fernando Bengoechea. When Tom went looking for Fernando, he found that Fernando went missing in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. He did, however, manage to get hold of Fernando’s brother, Marcelo. Marcelo recounts the life of Fernando and how at the time of his disappearance, he was one of the most sought-after photographers in New York, shooting for big names like Madonna, Naomi Campbell and the like.

Fernando’s then-partner, Nate Berkus, was vacationing with him at Sri Lanka when the fateful tragedy happened.

Marcelo then directed Tom to Fernando’s then-partner, Nate Berkus, who was vacationing with him in Sri Lanka when the tragedy happened. Nate then pointed Tom to Ahmad Sardar Afkami, the boyfriend before him. Ahmad remembered the photo and that it was taken in March of 1999. It was a personal message to him. They had fought a few days prior and Fernando sent him the image as an apology.

Fernando’s photos that were not used for commercial purposes ended up in an image licensing company, Corbis. After his disappearance in the tsunami, his Amsterdam photo was picked by IKEA designer, Erik Hansen. He’s also the one responsible for the iconic Audrey Hepburn poster. The Amsterdam image was part of the VILSHULT wall pictures which featured major cities – New York, London, Paris, and Amsterdam.

Watch the VILSHULT documentary here:

The post The story of the tragic photographer and his lonely Amsterdam appeared first on IKEA Hackers.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SKÅDIS: 5 ways to make the IKEA pegboard even better

IKEA introduced its own pegboard system, SKÅDIS, two years ago and I’d say it’s one of the best systems IKEA launched in recent years. I love how super customisable it is, with a growing range of accessories that help keep things organized. It works everywhere, in your wardrobe to bathroom . Probably anywhere you have a flat surface to hang it up. Photo: IKEA.com SKÅDIS pegboard system See it on IKEA.com But no matter how perfect a system, you can trust IKEA hackers to improve on the SKÅDIS. And they’ve settle these 5 issues you may have faced with the handy IKEA pegboard. Read on for their fixes. 5 IKEA SKÅDIS issues and fixes #1 Expensive hooks? You’ll need quite a number of hooks and accessories to fill up the SKÅDIS pegboard, and Kenyer was shocked at how quickly they all added up. So he figured he could make his own hooks to save cost. Photo: Kenyer Over at Instructables , he shows us how to twist copper wires into the SKÅDIS hook shape. It works s...
Post a Comment
Read more

KALLAX desk ideas: Three ways to set up a workstation

Three great ideas for a KALLAX desk . #1 Compact, minimalist desk for laptop I put together a KALLAX desk for my laptop for just under 25 euros. Just a KALLAX 2×2 is needed. No other materials required. IKEA item used: KALLAX 2 x 2 (77 x 77 cm) KALLAX 2×2 | IKEA.com All you need to do is assemble 3 of the pieces in a U shape. That is all.  If you want to strengthen the structure you would need to drill a couple of holes in order to use the long middle shelf of the KALLAX unit as a back reinforcer. Easy and it works. ~ by Fabio Tudela #2 KALLAX standing desk I choose to stand at work because it makes me feel infinitely more productive. Our department recently moved into a new building and we had the opportunity to design our own spaces. Items Used: VIKA AMON / TORNLIDEN table top x 2 (discontinued, replaced by LINNMON ) KALLAX 4 cube x 2 KALLAX drawer unit x 2 8 – 3″ locking casters / wheels 1 – 6′ zinc brace I had a few VIKA AMON tables ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hackers Help: How to remake cam lock holes?

I want to put a 78.5” wide PAX configuration in a 77” space for a kids room . My plan is to eliminate the drawer on the right unit, then cut the shelves and rails to be 1.5” narrower. My question is, how do people attach two laminated pressboard IKEA pieces after they’ve cut off the cam lock holes? Related: See more Hackers Help questions and answers . Are they using drills bits and/or tiny hole saws to remake the cam lock holes? Or screws drilled in from the outside with wood glue? The outside pieces won’t be visible in my completed setup so I could go either way. I’m curious what other people are doing, either I haven’t seen this detail in past hacks or I haven’t been paying attention. ~ by Jenny *** Hi Jenny The best and tidiest method is to use the cut-off portion as a template to reproduce the same cam lock holes in the correct positions. The right sized drill bits and a  Forstner bit should do the trick. A Forstner bit will drill a flat-bottomed hole (...
Post a Comment
Read more