Foam proudly presents an overview of the work of South African photographer Ernest Cole. The photographer is celebrated for his tireless documentation of Black lives in South Africa under apartheid: a regime of institutionalised racial segregation that was in effect from 1948 to the early 1990s. The exhibition includes parts of his archive, which had long been considered lost. 

South Africa, 1960s

Foam

Mamelodi, 1960s, South Africa

New York City, USA, 1971

Ernest Cole - House of Bondage

Sara Cwynar is a leading artist of her generation. She seeks to make sense of our current visual culture through photography, essayistic video works, collages, installations and books. In her studio, she collects and documents images and objects to identify the ways that these everyday materials shape our lives as we consume them. In this way, she captures the prevailing ideals and ideologies of an era.

Tracy in Camo, 2023

Contemporary Floral Arrangement - #144551 (1967) #2 The Relationship is a Matter of Style, 2023

Louis Vuitton Jeff Koons Rubens Bag, 2020

Still from Red Film, 2018

Pamela as Pamela, 2023

Sara Cwynar is like an anthropologist of our contemporary economy of endless choice. She researches which products, colours and images we use to shape our lives and identities, and how they change over time. 

Doll Index 2, 1733-1950, 2022

Next Level: Sara Cwynar

 shows the result of a long-term photographic investigation into the process and effects of gentrification and the social inequality it generates. Foam shows 

 at a time when many city dwellers are looking for affordable housing and when many residents can no longer afford to live in the neighbourhood they were once rooted in.

Summer, 2018

Untitled, 2017

Dog, 2018

Untitled, 2015

Canary Wharf, 2019 

Tommy, 2018

Still from Foam 3h: Sem Langendijk - Haven, 2023

Video interview with Sem Langendijk

Watch the video interview with Sem Langendijk

Sem Langendijk - Haven

Our experienced museum teachers challenge you to look closely and form your own opinion on the photography in the museum.

During the Free Guided Tour, you will visit the exhibitions in a group of at most 15 people. The museum teacher strikes a balance between posing questions and providing information, helping you discover the story of the photographer, the subject and the context of the exhibitions together.

Free Guided Tour, 2022

Free Guided Tour

 by Ernest Cole through the eyes of photographer  

 As part of the series Modern Perspectives, Farren will share her interpretations of Ernest Cole's powerful work that 

sought to raise awareness and inspire change around issues of race, inequality, and social justice. 

Opening Ernest Cole, 2023

Raquel & Cindy

Marck-Anthony's Waves

Alexander

Our Anthropological Golden Era

South Africa, 1960s 

Modern Perspectives on Ernest Cole with Farren van Wyk

Farren van Wyk on Ernest Cole 

Foam has been working with the West City District for years to present exhibitions in Mercatorplein's public space. In 

, visual artist Olgaç Bozalp follows his father around with his camera on a journey through different locations that serve as backdrops for their personal stories and adventures to unfold.

Dad And Omani Friends, November 2018

Galerie Mercatorplein

Dad and his Indian Friends, April 2017

Dad on his search for Hüseyin, June 2021

Dad on his search for Hüseyin, Silifke, June 2021

Dad in Hollywood, LA, October 2019

Sunrise, Istanbul, October 2021

Olgaç Bozalp - Dad on his search for Hüseyin

How do you convey the experience of Orientalism through images? How is it represented in our daily lives? In the exhibition

, Gülşah Ayla Bayrak aims to answer these questions by translating Orientalism's experience, emotion, and ideas into pictures, performances, and objects. 

The start of something

MAQAM

Oriental landscape

Yallah Habibi

Techno Odalsique

Gülşah Ayla Bayrak

Join us for the opening of our newest exhibitions 

The exhibitions will be opened by special guest Gunay Uslu (State Secretary Culture and Media of the Netherlands) on 

 You are welcome from 20.00 until 22.00 hrs for this festive event with free entrance, drinks, and music.

Mount Ararat, 1965

Galata Docks, Istanbul, 1962

After Anahit, 2023

Opening Ara Güler

Ara Güler is a renowned photojournalist who captured the essence of Turkey and the world beyond. The exhibition 

 shows both iconic and unknown parts of the artist's oeuvre. The show serves as a testament to Turkey's rich history and offers a glimpse into the ever-evolving Turkish identity.

Tophane, Istanbul, 1958

The Golden Horn, Istanbul, 1955

Old Galata Bridge, Istanbul, 1957

Florya, Istanbul, 1948

Ara Güler 

Ece Gökalp's exhibition in Foam 3h revolves around two major events that took place in the Northeast of Turkey. With this project, Gökalp sheds light on conflicts related to cultural heritage, ecological devastation, and the complexities of changing geography due to historical events through in-depth research, photography, and archival material.

Ernest Cole
House of Bondage

Next Level: Sara Cwynar
S/S 23

Foam 3h: Sem Langendijk
Haven

Free Guided Tour

Modern Perspectives on Ernest Cole with Farren van Wyk

Olgaç Bozalp
Dad on his search for Hüseyin

Gülşah Ayla Bayrak
The Start of Something

Opening Ara Güler A Play of Light and Shadow and Ece Gökalp After Anahit

Ara Güler
A Play of Light and Shadow

Foam 3h: Ece Gökalp
After Anahit

Ernest ColeHouse of Bondage

Next Level: Sara Cwynar S/S 23

Foam 3h: Sem LangendijkHaven

Free Guided Tour

Modern Perspectives on Ernest Cole with Farren van Wyk

Olgaç Bozalp Dad on his search for Hüseyin

Gülşah Ayla BayrakThe Start of Something

Opening Ara Güler A Play of Light and Shadow and Ece Gökalp After Anahit

Ara Güler A Play of Light and Shadow

Foam 3h: Ece Gökalp After Anahit

Ernest Cole
House of Bondage

Next Level: Sara Cwynar
S/S 23

Foam 3h: Sem Langendijk
Haven

Olgaç Bozalp
Dad on his search for Hüseyin

Gülşah Ayla Bayrak
The Start of Something

Ara Güler
A Play of Light and Shadow

Foam 3h: Ece Gökalp
After Anahit