Foam Press Release | 6 June 2011
Still/Life
Dutch Contemporary Photography
9 September to 26 October 2011
This year, Foam celebrates its tenth anniversary. Just as the
exhibition Foam opened with in 2001, Dutch Delight,
Still-Life is a group exhibition with an art historical
theme. Foam again presents work by Dutch photographers, this time
still life, a collection of unanimated objects, being the central
theme.
As a theme, still life remains as relevant as ever in today's
climate. For a wide group of contemporary (autonomous)
photographers, still life continues to inspire, although the
concept has been modernised and updated. The Potatoes
series by Anuschka Blommers and Niels Schumm is far from
traditional, yet highly graphic and the subject is extremely
Dutch. Given the choice of photographers, the show forms a
survey of the talent that Foam has discovered, followed and
presented in the last ten years: Melanie Bonajo, Kim Boske,
Blommers & Schumm, Elspeth Diederix, Fleur van Dodewaard, Uta
Eisenreich, Peggy Franck, Marnix Goossens, Eva-Fiore Kovacovsky,
Paul Kooiker, Anouk Kruithof, Yvonne Lacet, Lernert & Sander,
Charlott Markus, Katja Mater, Krista van der Niet, Jaap Scheeren
& Hans Gremmen, Scheltens & Abbenes, Diana Scherer,
Johannes Schwartz, Ingmar Swalue, Marianne Vierø, Anne de Vries and
Qiu Yang.
Over the last decade, Foam has followed Dutch photography from
close by and has concluded that the most striking and innovative
developments in the medium are found mainly in the world of
autonomous photography. Several leading photographers trained in
the Netherlands and producing autonomous work, have gained an
international reputation as influential and innovative. Their work
has made a huge impact on the development of Dutch photography,
both in form and visual idiom. The autonomous and commercial work
of Dutch photographers has a recognisable, fresh style which is
also characteristic of so-called Dutch Design. Dutch Design refers
to a typically Dutch aesthetic taste that is minimalist,
experimental, innovative, unconventional and with a touch of
humour. A major aspect is that instead of taking photos (as a
representation of reality), today's photographers take photos
(entirely staged).
Still/Life presents various forms of contemporary still
life. The show also charts developments relating to photography as
a medium and presents an overview of the current climate in
autonomous photography. Some have used photography to produce
tranquil images, others have used the tranquillity of the subject
to demonstrate the flexibility of the medium. Here the photographer
connects with other forms of art, such as video, sculpture,
performance or installation art. Artist duo Lernert&Sander, for
example, made a three-dimensional still life of musical instruments
that can never again be played. With Still/Life Foam
challenges today's young generation of photographers to produce
surprising new interpretations of a classic theme.
Still/Life, Contemporary Dutch Photography appears at
Foam from 9 September to 26 October 2011. Open daily from 10am to
6pm, Thurs/Fri 10am to 9pm.
Note to editors: For more information and
visual material please contact the Communications department,
e-mail foam@foam.org or phone +31 20 5516500.
Foam is supported by BankGiro Loterij, VandenEnde Foundation and
De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek.
Foam
Keizersgracht 609
1017 DS Amsterdam
The Neterlands
Phone: + 31 20 5516500 / www.foam.org