All aboard!

Nowhere better than in the artificial environment on board of cruise ships, the real social order of our global society becomes so clear.

Since a holiday on a cruise ship is no longer a strict privilege for the jet-set, but became rather an affordable luxury for those with jobs with decent pay, there is not so much difference anymore between the social status of those who enjoy their break and those who be of service. They are both working class people. And yet, the chance that average staff members will ever sail as a guest on a cruise ship is very small. The main distinction between passengers and staff seems to be the result of the ground where they were born.

For this series I was inspired by the work of the Belgian artist James Ensor. He turned every painting into a showroom full of stories and disguised his social criticism with a somewhat grotesque and theatrical mise-en-scene.

In 2024 it will be 75 years since James Ensor passed away. The Ensor year pays tribute to the Belgian master-innovator, game changer, inspirator and ... complex personality. In December 2023, the Ensor year will start in his hometown of Ostend with a broad city festival that shows the true face of 'the man behind the masks'. In September 2024, Antwerp, the city with the largest Ensor collection in the world, will take over the torch with four awe-inspiring exhibitions.

All photos made on board of MSC cruise ships (Mediterranean Sea, 2021-2023)