Van der Molen’s work, which was shown in 2007 at Foam 3h, garnered a great deal of praise at the 2015 edition of Unseen Photo Fair, where she presented new work. In this exhibition, Foam showcases a broad selection of her handmade gelatin silver prints, mostly in large format.
#346-18 2013 © Awoiska van der Molen
The exhibition Blanco was the result of long periods of isolation, in which Awoiska van der Molen penetrated deep into the essence of the remote world in which she creates her photos. Far removed from a society racing ever onwards, she takes time to experience the landscape in a new manner, beyond first appearances. She moves slowly there, returns repeatedly and by doing so makes these unknown places her own. This gradual and solitary working process continues in the darkroom. Her often profoundly black baryta prints contain mysterious contrasts between darkness and light. Notions of time, day and night seem non-existent.
ABOUT AWOISKA VAN DER MOLEN
In 2007 Awoiska van der Molen’s work was shown at Foam 3h in the form of the black-and-white series Maintained Ground, which concentrated on abandoned places in and around the city. Her work is always mysterious, hushed and devoid of people. Van der Molen studied various subjects including architecture and photography at the Academie Minerva Beeldende Kunst & Vormgeving in Groningen. Her first photobook, Sequester, published in September 2014, was nominated for the Paris Photo / Aperture First Book Prize and won the silver medal in the ‘Most Beautiful Book in the World’ competition at the Leipzig Book Fair. Awoiska van der Molen is represented by Kristof de Clercq Gallery in Ghent and Purdy Hicks Gallery in London. In 2017 Awoiska van der Molen was nominated for the prestigious Deutsche Börse Photography Prize for her solo exhibition at Foam.
The exhibition was made possible by the Gieskes-Strijbis Fund.
Foam is supported by the BankGiro Loterij, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, City of Amsterdam, Delta Lloyd, Olympus and the VandenEnde Foundation.