The series ‘Memories’ (2009) fuses the memory of Verhallen and his great-grandfather, using the top hat and white tie costume of the latter, while placing the fictional character in landscapes from the childhood of the former. Verhallen’s present-day memories, as well as his great-grandfather’s past existence, become intertwined as the black and white character in the photographs ventures through an undefined, intermediary age of colour. The character is rendered anonymous through the white mask, leaving space for the viewer to question his identity. Simultaneously, the mask is a sign of complete detachment, both emotionally and temporally. It is reminiscent of a tabula rasa, inviting us to project onto it our own identity, emotions and state of being. In turn, the omnipresent white square stresses the separation between location and character: although present in the landscape, the character maintains a distant and far-off demeanour, remaining effectively an outsider. The white square also functions as a physical representation of the separation in time between Verhallen’s world and that of his great-grandfather.