Portraits of power
For The Table of Power 2, Dutch photographer Jacqueline Hassink shot the empty boardrooms of corporate giants. The results are quietly fascinating
Royal Dutch Shell
Hague, The Netherlands, 7/06/10 Hassink is, "fascinated by the ‘unseen’ networks that govern our economic world," she says. In this room, portraits of former leaders sit high up the wall, and the bright yellow chair marks the chairman’s seat.
Assicurazioni Generali
Venice, Italy, 9/09/10 The Italian insurance giant (one of the world’s 50 biggest firms in 2011) uses several boardrooms, but offered this one as it was "the most prestigious," says Hassink.
It can take up to a year for her to be granted permission to shoot a boardroom, and her requests often cause confusion as firms have "a hard time finding the right person to take responsibility."
ThyssenKrupp
Essen, Germany, 22/03/11 At this new HQ for the German industrial giant, Hassink found the "building itself stunning. The architecture is functional, minimalistic and ultra-modern. There was no art present." In each boardroom, she makes a rough sketch of the layout to help plan the best angle for her shoot.
BNP Paribas
Paris, France, 7/12/09 "This is the building where Napoleon Bonaparte married his wife Joséphine de Beauharnais in 1796," says Hassink. The Table of Power and The Table of Power 2 are out now. For more on her work, see www.jacquelinehassink.com.
