Between Life and Death

Tussen Leven en Dood (Between Life and Death) was a photographic project and book (1990) focusing on acute medical care in the Netherlands, from birth to end-of-life. A joint project with photographer Henny Allis, it was made possible with support from the Academisch Medisch Centrum (AMC) Amsterdam, the Amsterdamse Kunstraad, Anjerfonds, Antoine Petit, and Kabi Pharmacia bv. It was the first such extensive photographic study in this area.

“For us, the year and a half spent in contact with life and death was a period of unforgettable human and photographic experience. Through the somewhat close and lengthy contact with the patient, his family and the hospital staff we got the opportunity to record intense emotions and events. For the attention, assistance, the tolerance with regard to the intrusion on privacy and the sympathetic attitude throughout, we cannot thank the AMC enough. Our posthumous thanks goes to those, old and young, who died during this year and a half. Their images will always be before us.”
- Henny Allis and Horacio Sormani