Foam Magazine has been awarded several prizes for both its high-grade graphic design and the quality of its content. Most recently, Foam Magazine was awarded Photography Magazine of the Year at the Lucie Awards 2017 and 2019.

Foam Magazine is an international photography magazine published three times a year by Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam.

Foam Magazine is sponsored by Igepa Netherlands BV, supplier of excellent paper.

From art, literature and media to academia and internet culture, the visual and the written language have crossed paths many a time, creating a genre of their own. Learn more about the current issue of Foam Magazine

Image from the photo series 3eib!

Foam Magazine #60 Glyphs – The Image + Text Issue

Foam Magazine #60: Glyphs - The Image + Text Issue

Text-to-image generators have gained tremendous popularity over the past years. This specific application of artificial intelligence allows users to create digital images based on textual input. It seems that any desired image is just a few clicks away, with little to no technological knowledge about the inner workings needed.  

But what happens underneath the hood? How does a text-to-image AI exactly work? This step-by-step explainer will lift (some) of the curtains of image generation and shed light inside the black box of AI. 

Disclaimer: this is a simplified explanation of text-to-image generation. In reality, there are many different types of generation models, approaches and techniques. To learn more about this complex technology, we recommend reading 

Inside the Black Box


Results

Text to Image explained

Still from Northern Winds with Jonathas de Andrade - Ammodo Docs

With my art projects, I approach people that historically experience oppression in many different ways. But still, their culture, their tradition, their way of keeping knowledge alive: they represent resistance in many ways.,

Still from the documentary Northern Winds with Jonathas de Andrade

Northern Winds: Artist Jonathas de Andrade’ Fascination with Jangadeiros | Ammodo Docs

watch the documentary

see more

Northern Winds: Jonathas de Andrade’ Fascination with Jangadeiros

Aby Fulani

"Every age has its great loss – for modernism, it was the coherence of the self; for postmodernism, the stability of master narratives – and now, in the 21st century, there is an increasing pressure on the notion of a shared reality."

Mugshots.com, N8, from the series Obscurity, 2016

Mugshots.com, N, from the series Obscurity, 2016

Mugshots.com, N2, from the series Obscurity, 2016

”There is a new way of understanding our times.. a new wave of realism, a new wave of artists who are engaged in political issues. “Evidential Realism” is the realism of today… “

Liz Johnson Artur - of life of love of sex of movement of hope, 2021

Paolo Cirio: Artist of the Post-Panopticon Era

Mooncake, Foam Café, Amsterdam

Spread from Chinees-Indisch Stickeralbum

Cahier for Benjamin Li's In Search of Perfect Orange - Chinese Version

Chinese version

In Search of Perfect Orange. About the work of Benjamin Li

See, through you, from the filmstrip series 36 Serendipities, 2021

Untitled, 2023

There are fairies by the lake, from the filmstrip series 36 Serendipities, 2021

Portrait with goats from the series Motherlands – three faithful things, 2021

Young Human. An interview with ShuShu Sieberns

Book Club Gift Guide

Dialect, 2020-2023

Dialect, 2023, Courtesy of LooseJoints

Installation view of Dialect

learn more

Ask The Artist: Felipe Romero Beltrán

Aspromonte - Guilty Grounds, 2023

The barrel – Guilty Grounds, 2023

Silent Chronicles. About the work of Steffi Reimers

A still from Wild Encounters, 2023

"At a certain point I lost track of you. 
They make a desolation and call it peace. 
when you left even the stones were buried: 
the defenceless would have no weapons." 

"When the ibex rubs itself against the rocks, 
who collects its fallen fleece from the slopes? 
O Weaver whose seems perfectly vanished, 
who weighs the hairs on the jeweller’s balance?"

"If only somehow you could have been mine, 
what would not have been possible in the world?" 

‘In the lake the arms of temples and mosques are locked in each other’s reflections.  
Have you soaked saffron to pour on them when they are found like this  
centuries later in this country  
I have stitched to your shadow?’ 

How to Love a Tree: Wild Encounter. About the work of Hira Nabi

Gigapedia: Haatsymboliek en Online Codetaal

Bereitschaft, 2024

Gigapedia: Exhibition Glossary. About the work of Jakob Ganslmeier and Ana Zibelnik

, a solo exhibition of Co Rentmeester (1936), one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. As a pioneer of photojournalism as well as commercial photography, Rentmeester has shaped our collective visual memory with iconic images such as his famous Jumpman photo of Michael Jordan, recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 most influential images of all time.

Michael Jordan North Carolina 1984

Foam

Close up of Mark Spitz training World Press Photo Sports, 1973

The female snow monkey in the hot springs of Japan’s Shiga Mountains was LIFE Magazines cover 1970

Los Angeles Uprisings, 1965

Co Rentmeester - Witnessing Life

Foam presents a deep dive into the archives of Dutch artist duo Blommers & Schumm, offering an in-depth look at over 25 years of their playful and provocative image-making.

The exhibition brings together highlights from their remarkable career, including iconic photographs featured in publications such as Fantastic Man, The Gentlewoman, Dazed & Confused, Self Service, Purple, AnOther Magazine, and The New York Times Magazine. 

Josefine wearing Bless, Styling Georgia Pendlebury for Exhibition magazine 2018

Blommers & Schumm

Mario Klingemann, The Butcher’s Son, 2017, Giclee printon paper, 80x57cm

Helena Sarin, AI Candy Store, 2018, Fine art print on paper, 20x20cm

David Young, (b38, 4016,16) from Learning Nature series, 2018, Fine art print on paper, 30x30 cm

Harold Cohen, Arnolfini Series, 1983, Plotter drawing, 60x80cm

Obvious, Portrait of Edmond de Belamy, 2018, Inkjet print on canvas, 70x70cm

Roope Rainisto, Emergent Culture from Excessize series, 2022

Spread from Morehshin Allahyari's portfolio in Foam Magazine #66

Foam
Magazine
#66 Missing 
Mirror


our annual print edition

From Innovation to Art: The History of AI Images

Page 144-145 in Foam Magazine #64: EXTREMES.

Page 138-139 in Foam Magazine #64: EXTREMES

Page 142-143 in Foam Magazine #64: EXTREMES

Presenting Foam Magazine #64: EXTREMES—The Environmental Issue

Time to change perspective.

Foam Magazine #64 Extremes - The Environmental Issue Cover: Abundance, 2023

On Transience – The Ebb & The Flow

Jasmijn Vermeeren - You Don't Look Sick

 alumna Hajar Benjida. The exhibition focusses on Magic City, an influential strip club in Atlanta that serves as a cultural epicenter where hip-hop culture and entertainment converge. This exhibition, Benjida pays tribute to the women behind Atlanta’s influential hip-hop scene—a city she considers pivotal in shaping the global sound of the genre. They act as the unofficial gatekeepers of the community.

Goddess, 2025

Barbi Billionz, 2023

Charlene Mama Love, 2019

Hajar Benjida – Atlanta Made Us Famous 

From the Archive:  Establishing Eden by Persijn Broersen & Margit Lukács

, the first solo exhibition by artist Jasmijn Vermeeren. From a deeply personal perspective, Vermeeren sheds light on living with an invisible disability. In conversations about diversity and inclusion within society, the position of people with hidden mental and/or physical disabilities often remains underexposed. 

 offers an intimate experience, inviting visitors to step into the everyday reality of those for whom this life is the norm.

Through photography, video, and sculptural work, Vermeeren reflects on her own encounters with chronic pain and societal assumptions surrounding health and identity. Idenitifying as 

: a term encompassing various forms of disability, including physical, mental, sensory and learning differences, Vermeeren challenges conventional ideas of functionality and normality. 

 invites viewers into her world,  creating a space where emotions are welcomed and reflection is invited. In doing so, she prompts a rediscovery of what it truly means to be

You Don't Look Sick, Self-Portrait No. 5, 2025

Khashayar's home studio in Lausanne, 2025. Courtesy of the artist

Khashayar's home studio in Lausanne, 2025

Archival material: digitising negatives from The Caspian

From the series The Caspian by Khashayar Javanmardi

Studio Visit: Khashayar Javanmardi

Installation shot Mid-Air, Blommers & Schumm

Mid-Air t-shirts by Blommers & Schumm in Foam shop

Studio Visit: Blommers and Schumm

This Christmas break, children can let their imaginations run wild during a special workshop at Foam! 

 have developed a singular visual language. Their work invites viewers to reconsider what they see and how they see it. 

Inspired by the exhibition and the working methods of artist duo Blommers & Schumm, children will discover how everyday objects can be used to create surprising works of art.

By looking closely, shifting and combining, they learn how simple things can come together to form a completely new image, a face, a flower, or perhaps something completely unexpected. Using illusion and imagination, the children create their own artwork that shows how differently you can look at the world around you.

This workshop is for children between 6 and 12 years old. Parents and caretakers can join the workshop for free.

Rose wearing Bottega Veneta, Middle Plane, 2021

Foam Studio's

David wearing bodega Veneta for Middle plane magazine David Hockney special 2022

Discover the World of Blommers & Schumm: Become a Surrealist Artist

Enhance your visit to Foam with a Free Guided Tour. Every odd week on Saturday, you’re welcome to join one of our tours: in Dutch at 11:00 hrs and in English at 12:00 hrs. No extra ticket is needed, participation is included with your museum admission.

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

Shine, 2024

Riverside Scene, 2021

Nap, 2021

Albany, Georgia, 2021

Untitled (Two Girls Embrace), 2021

A Glint of Possibility, 2022

Flotation, 2022

Test of Time: Tyler Mitchell

On Thursday, 15 January, Foam presents a special evening with 

 who have been invited to develop a dance performance in dialogue with the exhibition by 

In their practice, Lunatics and Poets explore how gestures, movements and objects acquire meaning. Their approach resonates with recurring themes within the oeuvre of Blommers & Schumm, including desire, transformation and the shifting boundaries of fashion.

Performance by Lunatics and Poets

The Flicker Phase, 1950

Breath and Sway: Ode to Blommers en Schumm

© Mounir Raji

Amsterdam 750: Mounir Raji Captures the People Who Shape the City

Book launch Sander Coers

Foam welcomes you to the presentation of 

For two-and-a-half years, Blok photographed pregnant people in various European countries at different stages of pregnancy. The images in the publication are combined with stories, anecdotes, and observations she wrote while working at a Dutch abortion clinic, alongside her own reflections around the complexities of motherhood and intimacy.

Host of the evening is curator Jilke Golbach, who is working together with Verena Blok on her solo exhibition at Foam in March 2026. Writer, artist and curator Mirthe Berentsen will moderate the talk with Verena Blok.

Doors wil open at 18.00 hrs and the talk starts around 18.30 hrs.

Text

Out now: Foam Magazine #60 Glyphs – The Image + Text Issue

Text to Image explained

Northern Winds: Jonathas de Andrade’s Fascination with Jangadeiros

Paolo Cirio
Artist of the Post-Panopticon Era

In Search of Perfect Orange
About the work of Benjamin Li

Young Human
An interview with ShuShu Sieberns

Ask The Artist:
Felipe Romero Beltrán

Silent Chronicles
About the work of Steffi Reimers

How to Love a Tree: Wild Encounters
About the work of Hira Nabi

Gigapedia: Hate Symbols and Online Codes
Exhibition Glossary

Co Rentmeester
Witnessing Life

Blommers & Schumm Mid-Air

From Innovation to Art:
The History of AI images

On Transience – Theme Text Foam Magazine #64: EXTREMES–The Environmental Issue

Hajar Benjida
Atlanta Made Us Famous

Establishing Eden by Persijn Broersen & Margit Lukács

Jasmijn Vermeeren
You Don't Look Sick

Studio Visit: Khashayar Javanmardi

Studio Visit: Blommers & Schumm

Kids workshop:
Becoming a Surrealist Artist

Free Guided Tour

I Can Make You Feel Good by Tyler Mitchell

Dance Performance Breath and Sway: A Tribute to Blommers and Schumm

Amsterdam 750: Mounir Raji Captures the People Who Shape the City

Book launch Verena Blok - Love Shit

Text

Out now: Foam Magazine #60 Glyphs – The Image + Text Issue

Text to Image explained

Northern Winds: Jonathas de Andrade’s Fascination with Jangadeiros

Paolo CirioArtist of the Post-Panopticon Era

In Search of Perfect OrangeAbout the work of Benjamin Li

Young HumanAn interview with ShuShu Sieberns

Ask The Artist: Felipe Romero Beltrán

Silent ChroniclesAbout the work of Steffi Reimers

How to Love a Tree: Wild EncountersAbout the work of Hira Nabi

Gigapedia: Hate Symbols and Online CodesExhibition Glossary

Co Rentmeester Witnessing Life

Blommers & Schumm Mid-Air

From Innovation to Art: The History of AI images

On Transience – Theme Text Foam Magazine #64: EXTREMES–The Environmental Issue

Hajar BenjidaAtlanta Made Us Famous

Establishing Eden by Persijn Broersen & Margit Lukács

Jasmijn Vermeeren You Don't Look Sick

Studio Visit: Khashayar Javanmardi

Studio Visit: Blommers & Schumm

Kids workshop:Becoming a Surrealist Artist

Free Guided Tour

I Can Make You Feel Good by Tyler Mitchell

Dance Performance Breath and Sway: A Tribute to Blommers and Schumm

Amsterdam 750: Mounir Raji Captures the People Who Shape the City

Book launch Verena Blok - Love Shit

Paolo Cirio
Artist of the Post-Panopticon Era

In Search of Perfect Orange
About the work of Benjamin Li

Young Human
An interview with ShuShu Sieberns

Ask The Artist:
Felipe Romero Beltrán

Silent Chronicles
About the work of Steffi Reimers

How to Love a Tree: Wild Encounters
About the work of Hira Nabi

Gigapedia: Hate Symbols and Online Codes
Exhibition Glossary

Co Rentmeester
Witnessing Life

From Innovation to Art:
The History of AI images

Hajar Benjida
Atlanta Made Us Famous

Jasmijn Vermeeren
You Don't Look Sick

Kids workshop:
Becoming a Surrealist Artist