Project and text by Yuiko Shigeta

Photography by Fujita Keisuke

Book 25.5x34.5x2cm 42pages

 

 

The Young Adult has one foot in the world of adulthood and the other still rooted in childhood. Every person passes through this difficult transition, a powerful period marked by sensitivity, fragility, and innocence as they try to figure out who they are and what they will become. This period is an exciting time as they step into a world that was once out of reach, and adapt to a social sphere that is centred around the consumption of alcohol. They are curious about this exciting experience, but it takes time to learn how to drink alcohol safely. This combination of new experiences and a fragile emotional state can create dangerous sparks.

 

Stratumseind is a famous street in the centre of Eindhoven that has the highest density of bars in the Netherlands. I visited here to research the problem of alcohol related violence among young adults, which this street naturally attracts. This issue is gaining increasing attention in the country, and the government is adjusting alcohol regulations with the aim to decrease the violence.

 

As I wandered through this narrow street, packed with bar after bar, memories of my own youth suddenly flooded back. I began to remember what it was like to be in the midst of this energetic and sensitive period. These were very special years of my life.

 

Through my experience and research, I realized that the heart of the problem is not alcohol, but the fragile emotional state of these young adults adapting to new circumstances. Although we have all passed through this turbulent age, we quickly forget this point of view and all we see is the seemingly meaningless violence.

 

Talk to Us reveals the emotional voices of young adults that I met and talked to on the streets in the centre of Eindhoven. With this book, I aim to give people an opportunity to view the dynamic energy of young adults as a part of the social problem, of which every adult can relate.