During Faking History, speakers will reflect on Panta Rhei, a project in which artist Daan Paans calls into question the assigned value of historical artifacts.

Alongside the artist himself, Martin Berger (curator Middle and South America at Museum of Ethnology, Leiden) and Saba Askary (researcher in the field of classical historiography and contemporary art) will introduce their unique perspectives to the discussion. Daan Paans will speak about his project and artistic practice in conversation with curator Mirjam Kooiman (Foam).
PROGRAMME
<ul>
<li>19.00 &ndash; 19.15 Spoken Column by Martin Berger</li>
<li>19.15 &ndash; 20.00 Daan Paans in conversation with Mirjam Kooiman</li>
<li>20.00 &ndash; 20.20 Lecture by Saba Askary</li>
<li>20.20 &ndash; 20.30 Questions &amp; discussion</li>
</ul>
<a href="/book-a-visit/public/faking-history/21-02-2019">&gt; Tickets</a>
ABOUT FOAM 3H: DAAN PAANS - PANTA RHEI In the opening scene of Indiana Jones &ndash; Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), the fictional archaeologist Indiana Jones manages to obtain the coveted Golden Idol from a hidden temple deep in the Peruvian jungle. This magical film prop is based on a pre-Columbian statuette from the Dumbarton Oaks Museum in Washington, that allegedly represents the Aztec goddess Tlazolteotl. Research has revealed that this figurine is not pre-Columbian after all, but was most likely produced in Europe or Asia in the nineteenth Century. Paans was captivated by the confusion between replica and original, and how the museum assigned value to this object.&nbsp;The artist continued this cultural mutation in a kind of visual version of &lsquo;Chinese whispers&rsquo;: based on photos, Paans let artisans from various countries created a new replica, transforming the sculpture. Paans visualised&nbsp;how our interpretations change imperceptibly over time and questions the value we assign to artworks and historical artefacts.
<a href="/museum/programme/daan-paans">&gt; Exhibited at Foam 3h until 24 February 2019</a>
The project Panta Rhei by Daan Paans was developed with support from the Mondriaan Fund.
The Foam 3h exhibitions are made possible with support from the Gieskes-Strijbis Fund, the Van Bijlevelt Foundation and Kleurgamma Fine-Art Photolab.
Foam is supported by the BankGiro Loterij, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, Foam Members, Gemeente Amsterdam, Olympus and the VandenEnde Foundation.
ABOUT SABA ASKARY Saba Askary is an Iranian born, U.A.E raised curator active in the fields of classical historiography and contemporary art in Amsterdam. Askary first received a BFA from OCADU in Toronto, CA and further achieved her post-graduate in History and Art World Practice from the University of Glasgow and Christie&rsquo;s Education. Currently Askary is Content and Development Manager at Unseen Platform.
&nbsp;
ABOUT MARTIN BERGER Martin Berger is curator Middle and South America. His research interest lies in global flows of people and objects, indigenous forms of representation, (ethnographic) museums and collections histories, and popular culture. Berger studied Latin American Archaeology and Ethnography at Leiden University and obtianed his PhD in 2016. Since then, he has curated numerous exhibitions all over the world.

<div class="sidebar__content">Event info 
Thursday 21 February 2019 19.00 - 20.30 hrs PRICE &euro;7,00 regular rate &euro;5,00&nbsp;<a href="/about/memberships" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Foam Fan</a>/<a href="/about/memberships" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Club</a>/<a href="/about/foam-fund" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fund</a> *including&nbsp;museum admission
 LANGUAGE English</div>

Faking History

Spanish artist Laia Abril (1986) is the fourteenth winner of the Foam Paul Huf Award. With her work, Abril tells intimate stories that evoke uncomfortable and hidden realities and often deal with inequality between the sexes and oppression of women.

Foam

explore related

Chastity Belt, 2019, On Rape

Shrinky Recipe, 2019, On Rape

Laia Abril On Rape: A History of Misogyny, Chapter Two

From the series: Argania: Lack of Information Is My Family History

MAryam Touzani

 weaves together several historical routes: that of his mother, growing up in Botswana after escaping the Apartheid regime of South Africa with her parents. That of his great-uncle, Zephania Mothopeng, the anti-Apartheid activist, imprisoned on Robben Island. And that of his grandfather, and his love for music, inspiring Makepe to pursue a creative career.

What at first glance may appear as a personal family narrative, in fact reveals the painful, racist and discriminatory political history of South Africa and the remnants of its colonial regimes. The series unfolds as a multi-dimensional, visual journey along these historical paths, touching on land dispossession, activism and colonialism.

includes striking portraits of his close relatives, sometimes re-enacting historical scenes, documentary photographs of important landmarks, as well as documents from Makepe’s family archive. Accompanying the visual material is a playlist of music, curated by the artist himself—connecting the work beautifully through the shared love for music. 

Sentlhane, 2022, from the series We Didn't Choose to be Born Here

Monna Wa Mmino III, 2020, from the series We Didn't Choose to be Born Here

Re A Hlopela Tombstone Unveiling from the series We Didn’t Choose to be Born Here, 2019

Archival footage from the series We Didn't Choose to be Born Here

Hippolytus Mothopeng [left] (1958), from the series We Didn't Choose to be Born Here

Hippolytus Mothopeng Citizenship, from the series We Didn't Choose to be Born Here

The Metronome Swing Orchestra in Botswana (1966), from the series We Didn't Choose to be Born Here

Garden, 2022, from the series We Didn't Choose to Be Born Here

The Aunt I Almost Had, 2021, from the series We Didn't Choose to be Born Here

Wait, 2021, from the series We Didn't Choose to be Born Here

Kgomo Tsaka Deile Kae, from the series We Didn't Choose to be Born Here

Kereke, 2019, from the series We Didn't Choose to Be Born Here

Sello, 2021, from the series We Didn't Choose to be Born Here

Martha and Hippolytus Mothopeng (1982), from the series We Didn't Choose to be Born Here

Robben Island University, 2020, from the series We Didn't Choose to be Born Here

Mama Mo Metsi, 2019, from the series We Didn't Choose to be Born Here

Under Surveillance, 2021, from the series We Didn't Choose to be Born Here

Thero Makepe

records the artist’s personal search for her heritage. With little to no information about her family history, MAryam Touzani sets off on a journey tracing the story of her Moroccan ancestry and multicultural upbringing. 

Using her teeth—carriers of one’s unique genetic encoding—as a starting point, MAryam Touzani photographs and assembles all the pieces of evidence she can collect: from dental X-rays and passport images, to her father’s death certificate and colonial maps omitting her ancestor’s region of origin. In her investigation where answers do not seem to come straightforward, photography becomes a poetic tool, allowing Touzani to reconstruct her past, in order to imagine her future.  

The title refers to the scientific name of the argan tree, one of the oldest existing trees growing in the Sous valley in southwestern Morocco. Traditionally, the fruits are processed into argan oil by women from the local Amazigh community. As an Amazigh woman, but born and raised in The Netherlands, MAryam Touzani uses the symbol of the argan tree to trace back her roots and honour her female ancestors. 

Smile

Denture

From the series Argania: Lack of Information is my Family History

If I take care of you, will u stay with me for a lifetime

Go fix it

From the series Argania: Lack of Information Is My Family History

Laugh MAryam laugh

Land of Afrika

Teeth bus stop

Behind the Abri

Traceable

After encountering the powerful texts of psychiatrist Frantz Fanon on the fight against colonial injustice, a series of questions emerged inside Issam Larkat’s mind. Who was Frantz Fanon and how did he become a crucial figure in the liberation of Algeria, as well as the broader movement of decolonialisation? How relevant are his words after seventy years? And, which questions would Fanon have asked in today’s society? 

Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) was an important figure in the global struggle against colonialism during the 1950s, also known under the adopted Islamic name Omar Ibrahim, and recognised for his publications 

(1961). Born on the Caribbean island Martinique, under French colonial rule, Fanon educated as a psychiatrist in France. After the Algerian Revolution in 1954, he joined the National Liberation Front and continued to fight for the freedom of many African nations, including Algeria, until his death in 1961.

Inspired by the profound legacy of Fanon’s visionary ideas, Issam Larkat’s series 

pays a tribute to his thinking by using a distinct style that combines photographs, archival images and hand-made drawings. Larkat cleverly translates his questions into critical collages that depart from his own experience in Algeria, yet simultaneously speak to the universal struggle against injustice and (neo-)colonialism, connecting the shared identities of Algerian, African and Arab people. 

From the series Frantz Fanon, Me, and The Questions

Issam Larkat

from the series Las Flores Mueren Dos Veces

 is a personal exploration of loss, grief and reconciliation following the death of the artist’s father. Through various tools of digital creation and manipulation, Cristóbal Ascencio created a poetic exploration of his personal memories, altering family photos and recreating the last garden his father worked on.  

Fifteen years after his father passed away, Cristóbal Ascencio learned that his death had been a suicide. The last words of Margarito’s farewell letter stated: “Forgive me and communicate with me.” This new piece of information triggered Ascencio to revisit the images, places and memories connected to his family history.  

In an attempt to answer his father’s final request, he digitally recreated a collection of plants based on his father’s instructions as well as an immersive garden, where the plants function as a bridge between past and present. Using different digital techniques, such as ‘data bending’, photogrammetry and 3D modelling, Ascencio plays on the idea that our memories are manufactured, manipulated and corrupted over time.  

Margarito, from the series Las Flores Mueren Dos Veces. Data bending on archival photography.

Nacer, from the series Las Flores Mueren Dos Veces. Databending on archival photography.

Bromelia, from the series Las Flores Mueren Dos Veces. Digital photography and photogrammetry

Wedding, from the series Las Flores Mueren Dos Veces. Databending on archival photography.

Letter, from the series Las flores mueren dos veces

Monstera Deliciosa, from the series Las Flores Mueren Dos Veces. Digital photography and photogrammetry

Burial, from the series Las Flores Mueren Dos Veces. Data bending on archival photography.

Birthday, from the series Las Flores Mueren Dos Veces. Databending on archival photography.

Tagetes Erecta, from the series Las Flores Mueren Dos Veces. Digital photography and photogrammetry

Lucha Libre, from the series Las Flores Mueren Dos Veces. Databending on archival photography.

from the series Las floren mueren dos veces

Cristóbal Ascencio

André Ramos-Woodard

, André Ramos-Woodard addresses the widespread anti-Black racism deeply rooted in American society. The work centres around the idea that to heal from the harm and pain caused by this, it's essential to acknowledge its history.

Critiquing the media's portrayal of Black individuals through stereotypical imagery, Ramos-Woodard takes a unique approach. He recreates illustrations of Black people, found throughout the history of cartooning, and blends them with his own photographs that celebrate Black identity, inspired by his personal experiences. 

Drawing from his lifelong love of comic books and anime, Ramos-Woodard seamlessly combines photography and illustration, creating a visual language that unites contrasting realities. Through this approach, he confronts the audience with the long-lasting effects of racial hierarchies, using the familiar and funny aspects of cartoons to turn them into a tool to advocate for change.

Authenticity (2 CHAINZ), 2022, from the series BLACK SNAFU

My people have had to cry, scream, and fight for respect for centuries, and we still have not gained what we deserve.

Trophies, 2020, from the series BLACK SNAFU

Buds, 2020, from the series BLACK SNAFU

BLACK SNAFU

Drawing Mickey in Melodrama

Coonin' and bafoonin', 2023, from the series BLACK SNAFU

Niggas at the park, 2021, from the series BLACK SNAFU

Hate monger, 2022, from the series BLACK SNAFU

United States education system, 2022, from the series BLACK SNAFU

To move past the damage [anti-Blackness] has done to our society, we can’t simply deny our history—we must recognize it.

BL!NG, 2020, from the series BLACK SNAFU

Zooted, 2020, from the series BLACK SNAFU

From the series Eyes Dazzle as They Search for the Truth

What is the relationship between the photographer and the one that is photographed? In an attempt to answer this question, Amin Yousefi turned to photobooks, documenting the Iranian Revolution of 1978-1979 in his home-country. Zooming in on archival images of large demonstrations, he looked for protestors who locked eyes with the camera. 

Anonymous faces stare into the photographer’s lens, clearly showing awareness of being captured, inviting the viewer to look. Interestingly, the photographer at the time was most likely 

 aware of the returning gazes—due to the size of the crowds and the limitations of a 35mm camera viewfinder. In this case, Yousefi argues, it seems that the photographed is in control of the image, rather than the photographer, as one might assume. 

With the help of a magnifying glass, he rephotographed each of them—connecting himself with these individuals across time and space and isolating them into a newly formed crowd. Consisting of fifty portraits, 

Eyes Dazzle as they Search for the Truth 

examines how our knowledge about the past is formed through archival images. By turning his camera to those who looked back, Yousefi tries to understand the impact of one of the most influential events in Iranian contemporary history.

Untitled from Eyes Dazzle As they Search for The Truth.

Untitled from Eyes Dazzle As they Search for The Truth

Amin Yousefi

In 1947, when the British left India after 89 years of colonial rule, the land was divided into two countries: Pakistan and India. Known as the Partition of India, this enforced and hastily drawn line sparked a violent mass migration of fifteen million people, changing the course of history on the subcontinent for generations to come.  

, Aaryan Sinha documented his journey across five Indian states bordering with Pakistan. The photographs capture his travels in an intuitive and poetic way, and together investigate how historical events, like the partition, influence the Indian landscape and the identity of its people, including his own. 

At the core of the project lies Aaryan’s attempt to depict a version of India that is truer to his experience, one of similarity and connection, rather than division and opposition. Through this, his project also exposes the relationship between photography and colonialism—aiming to revoke the stereotypical perception of a poor, overpopulated nation held by many in the West. 

In a Sandstone Mine

A Dream from Childhood

Portrait of Time

From the series This Isn't Divide and Conquer

Stillness

Scars Run Deep

Escape

Reinforcement

Aaryan Sinha

Created by Cristina De Middel in 2013. Using inkjet on cotton paper as the medium, the artwork is displayed at 100 x 100 cm. The work explores genres such as the 

The portrait potrays a Zambian man in a space uniform. The work is part of the series 

Untitled, from the series The Afronauts, 2012

visible in

The starting point for the project The Afronauts is derived from the history of Zambia. A space program started by a school teacher suddenly enlisted Zambia to join the United States and Russia in the space race. The hoped-for outcome was the first African on the moon. However, a lack of financial aid meant that this ambitious initiative was doomed to fail. Fifty years later, De Middel reconstructs this story, using her own imagination.

Untitled from the series Afronauts

selected artists

Welcome to Talent 2024-2025 – the digital exhibition.

Here, Foam proudly presents 20 selected Talents in their very own online universe. Out of a dazzling 2,480 submissions, this final curation of exceptional work defines the new horizons of the medium of photography, thematically and technically. Highlighting the connections, this interactive network brings all Talents together and maps out their distinct artistic viewpoints.

Spanning across the globe, the stories told by these artists reflect a universal yearning for belonging—a profound desire to anchor, to establish a connection with the past and carve out a sense of place. A driving force underpinning their work is the quest to trace heritage, untangle family lines, and explore personal identity.

Acknowledging the constructed nature of history, memory, or even their own thoughts, these artists boldly confront existing narratives. They embark on a journey of unlearning, challenging established stories, and turn to the expansive nature of photography to build new understandings and narratives, resonating more authentically with their lived experiences.

Noteworthy in their approach is the harmonious balance between tradition and innovation. The artists seamlessly blend traditional photographic techniques with cutting-edge developments, including the much-discussed realm of artificial intelligence, and other mediums such as moving image, embroidery and music. 

Select one of the filters to zoom in on these different techniques and mediums.

This digital exhibition presents the work in a truly multi-medial way, inviting you to 

about Foam Talent Digital

artists shaping the future of photography

Foam is supported by the VriendenLoterij, Foam Members, the VandenEnde Foundation and the City of Amsterdam.

The Foam Talent programme and the annual Talent Issue of Foam Magazine are supported by:

Overview

John Edmonds - A Sidelong Glance, 2022

Award prize

Selection criteria

Winner Foam Paul Huf Award 2023

Felipe Romero Beltrán

Dialect, 2020

Jury 2023

In his Dialect series, Romero Beltrán works with young people who have illegally crossed the maritime border between Morocco and Spain and are waiting for their migratory status to be resolved in Seville. The photographs are explorations of these young people's experiences, in which the body engages in dialogue with their memories and the time spent waiting in the migratory centre. 

Most recent exhibitions

All winners

About Paul Huf

Foam Talent Call

Foam 3h

back to the overview

Other talent inititatives

Foam Paul Huf Award

 in 2020/2021. Using c-print as the medium, the artwork is displayed at 120 x 80 cm.

 stems from Suriel's research on forgotten histories in Saint Martin and combines academia and indigenous knowledge to create a new imaginary. 

Sangoma from the series Ghost Island

Foam is supported by the VriendenLoterij, Foam Members, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, the VandenEnde Foundation and the City of Amsterdam.

In 2021 Foam receives additional support from the Mondriaan Fund and Kickstart Cultuurfonds

Sangoma

 in 2016. Using C-print as the medium, the artwork is displayed at 100 x 80 cm.

Untitled, 2016

This photograph comes from a shoot that Harley Weir did for the 'Female Gaze Issue' from i-D Magazine (August 2016). For the first time in the history of the famous youth culture magazine, it devoted an entire number to women seen through the lens of only female photographers. How do women look at women? It is a theme that Harley Weir has been involved in for some time. While working in the context of the fashion industry, her photographs show a different approach to women - one that does not necessarily meet the standard beauty ideal. For example, she refuses to brush away something like pigmentation marks on the body of a model in her photos. Time and again she seeks out the tension between the erotic and functional meaning of the erogenous zones of the female body.

Untitled Harley Weir

Tophane, Istanbul, 1958

Podcast

Galata Docks, Istanbul, 1962

Foam Talks about Ara Güler, iconic images, and photo archives, with Claartje van Dijk and Tuana Pulak

After Anahit, 2023

Image from the series After Anahit, 2023

Foam Talks about an Armenian statue, an emptied lake, and a fig tree with Ece Gökalp and Larissa Araz

Aby Fulani

Aspromonte - Guilty Grounds, 2023

The barrel – Guilty Grounds, 2023

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

Silent Chronicles. About the work of Steffi Reimers

Kinder Limo, from the series To Know Us Better

Foam celebrates Amsterdam Pride 2022 by promoting a discussion around Queer history and delving deep on its local archives.

Laslo, from the series To Know Us Better

For the Record with Anton Shebetko, Karol Radziszewski & Jim van Geel

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

Dad And Omani Friends, November 2018

How do different generations of Turkish image-makers give shape to the worlds they live in? With shared heritage as the starting point, multi-year project Kısmet explores the complex and rich perspectives of Turkish visual culture. Initiated by the longstanding cultural, diplomatic and economical connections between Turkey and the Netherlands, Kısmet was created by artist Ahmet Polat and further developed with Foam. 

Online Exhibition - Kismet: New Perspectives. Four Contemporary Image-makers from Turkey

articles

Current exhibitions

Dad and his Indian Friends, April 2017

The Golden Horn, Istanbul

Listen to the Foam Talks episode about an Armenian statue, an emptied lake, and a fig tree.

Foam Talks with Ece Gökalp and Larissa Araz

Ahmet Sezer being photographed by his son Ahmet, Dark Moon Tales of the Afro-Turkish Diaspora, 2005-2022

Watch the visual podcast about the history of the Afro-Turkish community around Izmir, Turkey and their connection to image-making.

The Coffee Reading: Tales of the Afro Turkish Diaspora

From the series Double Portrait, 2021

Listen to the Foam Talks episode with artist Cemre Yeşil in conversation with Ahmet Polat where they speak about the Turkish photography scene.

Foam Talks with Cemre Yeşil and Ahmet Polat

podcasts

past exhibitions

Kısmet

At Foam, we believe that photography is a powerful tool for young people to express themselves. That's why fostering the next generation of photographers is at the heart of our museum's mission. Foam has partnered with Meervaart Studio over the past six years to create beautiful photography workshops for talented young people in Amsterdam, led by experienced photographers from Foam's extensive network. 

We're proud to celebrate this fruitful collaboration with a hybrid presentation in the project space of the museum and on Foam’s digital platform. This special showcase is an opportunity to learn more about the work of five young makers who have been part of our many educational photography projects over the years. These programmes have given them the tools and guidance to capture their visions of the world around them. 

As you explore the exhibition, you'll be struck by the creativity and originality of these young photographers. Each project highlights the value of providing young people with a platform to share their voices. Their work will inspire and encourage others to see the world in new and exciting ways. 

Join us in celebrating the work of this generation of young Amsterdam creatives.  

history

Faking History

Laia Abril On Rape: A History of Misogyny, Chapter Two

MAryam Touzani

Thero Makepe

MAryam Touzani

Issam Larkat

Cristóbal Ascencio

André Ramos-Woodard

Amin Yousefi

Aaryan Sinha

Untitled, from the series Afronauts

Overview

Foam Paul Huf Award

Sangoma from the series Ghost Island

Untitled

Foam Talks about Ara Güler, iconic images, and photo archives, with Claartje van Dijk and Tuana Pulak

Foam Talks about an Armenian statue, an emptied lake, and a fig tree with Ece Gökalp and Larissa Araz

Silent Chronicles
About the work of Steffi Reimers

For the Record with Anton Shebetko, Karol Radziszewski & Jim van Geel

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

Kısmet

Through the lens of Turkish visual culture

Empowering the voices of Amsterdam’s youth through photography

Foam Magazine #63: FOOD!

Blind Spots

Tracing identity and championing untold histories.

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

history

Faking History

Laia Abril On Rape: A History of Misogyny, Chapter Two

MAryam Touzani

Thero Makepe

MAryam Touzani

Issam Larkat

Cristóbal Ascencio

André Ramos-Woodard

Amin Yousefi

Aaryan Sinha

Untitled, from the series Afronauts

Overview

Foam Paul Huf Award

Sangoma from the series Ghost Island

Untitled

Foam Talks about Ara Güler, iconic images, and photo archives, with Claartje van Dijk and Tuana Pulak

Foam Talks about an Armenian statue, an emptied lake, and a fig tree with Ece Gökalp and Larissa Araz

Silent ChroniclesAbout the work of Steffi Reimers

For the Record with Anton Shebetko, Karol Radziszewski & Jim van Geel

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

Kısmet

Through the lens of Turkish visual culture

Empowering the voices of Amsterdam’s youth through photography

Foam Magazine #63: FOOD!

Blind Spots

Tracing identity and championing untold histories.

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

Silent Chronicles
About the work of Steffi Reimers

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