Outside/In: Akwasi
On Thursday 29 June Akwasi will be at Foam for the first edition of Outside/In, a programme where guest speakers delve deeper into the stories behind exhibitions at Foam.

ATTENTION: this event is in Dutch

After an introduction to the Gordon Parks exhibition, Akwasi will focus on Parks' series A Man Becomes Invisible. Parks created this series after the book Invisible Man, written by Ralph Ellison, was published. Both the book and the series by Parks tell the story of an African American man, who feels invisible to society as a result of racial tensions and socio-economic circumstances as a symbol of many other Afro Americans in society. Akwasi will share his thoughts on the series by reading from the book Invisible Man and continue to speak about to the relationship between the series, the book and his personal experiences. After Akwasi, Foam curator Kim Knoppers will elaborate on the many talents and oeuvre of Gordon Parks.

ABOUT GORDON PARKS
American photographer Gordon Parks (1912-2006) used photography to expose the deep divisions in American society. Parks was an important champion of equal rights for African Americans and in his work addressed themes such as poverty, marginalisation and injustice. Aside from his iconic portraits of legends like Martin Luther King, he especially achieved fame through his photographic essays for the prestigious Life Magazine and films he directed, such as The Learning Tree and Shaft.

ABOUT AKWASI
Akwasi (1988, NL) is a born storyteller. He can be found on stage, in videos or at pop concerts. He graduated in 2012 from the Theater Academy in Maastricht. In 2014 Akwasi launched Dutch record label Neerlands Dope, on which his album Daar Ergens was released. Whether you know Akwasi from his own play Blanke Vla or as a rapper in Hip Hop group Zwart Licht, you already know that he does speaks his mind.

The exhibition Gordon Parks -  I Am You. Selected Works 1942-1978 is made possible with support from the American Embassy and the Democracy and Media Foundation. With special thanks to The Gordon Parks Foundation.

Foam is supported by the BankGiro Loterij, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, Delta Lloyd, the City of Amsterdam, Olympus and the VandenEnde Foundation.

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Outside/In: Akwasi