From 16 until 24 April the National Museum week shines the spotlight on the expansive collections of Dutch museums and heritage institutions.

Since 2007 Foam has been actively building a photography collection. Today, Foam’s collection holds over 500 works and includes photography, as well as films and installations, which represent some of the latest developments in image making. The collection is an active and vital part of the museum and reflects the exhibition programme. Foam’s vision emphasises the discovery, support and presentation of young talented artists who work with the medium of photography. On April 20th, curator Zippora Elders will give a lecture on current artists and developments in photography through the works of the Foam Photography Museum collection.

MASTERPIECE


_{Abdullahi Mohammed with Mainasara, Ogere-Remo, Nigeria, 2007 © Pieter Hugo}

For the National Museum week all museums highlight one of the works from the collection as their masterpiece. In its collection policy, Foam emphasises the discovery, support and presentation of young talented artists who work with the medium of photography, such as the South African photographer Pieter Hugo. In March 2008 Hugo was selected by an international jury as the winner of the annual Foam Paul Huf Award.

Pieter Hugo travelled twice to Nigeria (2005 and 2007) to follow a group of travelling street artists, nicknamed the ‘Hyena Men’, who are surrounded by myths. Accompanied by hyena’s, pythons and baboons, these men earn their money in street shows and by selling traditional medicines. Hugo’s photographs show the tension between dominance and submission, nature and culture, between tradition and modernity.