Author Description

In 2007, Vincent Mentzel acquired his first iPhone and, like everyone else, was immediately captivated by it. With the flat screen in his hand, he searched for surprising and unusual images, focusing on the people he could approach very closely. Like the artist David Hockney, he was overjoyed with the possibilities of the new technology. Simultaneously with the introduction of the smartphone camera, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn emerged. These were the channels through which Mentzel could present his new photography. #vincentmentzel showcases a wide selection of his 40,000 smartphone photos, taken between 2004 and 2025. Two photographer friends - Wim Pijbes and Stephan Vanfleteren - describe the power and quality of his photography. Sanneke van Hassel and Ernest van der Kwast (like Mentzel, true Rotterdam natives) shed light on the good life in the port city on the Maas River.