exhibition

Foam Talent 2020

Foam presents the exhibition Foam Talent 2020, with works from a new generation of visual artists.

Each year, Foam invites photographers to submit their portfolios via the , an international search for exceptionally talented photographers under the age of 35. Selected photographers gain international exposure and recognition within the photography industry through a number of career-building opportunities offered by Foam, including publication in Foam Magazine, participation in a travelling group exhibition and the opportunity for their work to be added to the prestigious Art Collection Deutsche Börse of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation in Frankfurt.

⁠Image from the series Flash Points © Philip Montgomery, courtesy of the artist.
⁠Image from the series Flash PointsPhilip Montgomery, courtesy of the artist.
Image from the series Charlie Surfs on Lotus Flowers © Simone Sapienza, courtesy of the artist.
Image from the series Charlie Surfs on Lotus FlowersSimone Sapienza, courtesy of the artist.
Image from the series Tatsuniya © Rahima Gambo, courtesy of the artist.
Image from the series TatsuniyaRahima Gambo, courtesy of the artist.
Image from the series Escape From Paradise © Benoît Jeannet, courtesy of the artist.
Image from the series Escape From ParadiseBenoît Jeannet, courtesy of the artist.
Image from the series Hola Mi Amol © Karla Hiraldo Voleau, courtesy of the artist.
Image from the series Hola Mi AmolKarla Hiraldo Voleau, courtesy of the artist.

Exceptional photography talent

This year 19 artists were selected as Foam Talents 2020:
Aàdesokan (Nigeria), Sofia Borges (Brazil), Adji Dieye (Senegal/Italy), Rahima Gambo (Nigeria), Karla Hiraldo Voleau (France/Dominican Republic), Benoît Jeannet (Switzerland), Luther Konadu (Canada/Ghana), Matthew Leifheit (United States), Douglas Mandry (Switzerland), Philip Montgomery (United States), Camillo Pasquarelli (Italy), Simone Sapienza (Italy), Micha Serraf (Zimbabwe/South Africa), Hashem Shakeri (Iran), Gao Shang (China), Kamonlak Sukchai (Thailand), Guanyu Xu (China/United States), Yorgos Yatromanolakis (Greece), Alba Zari (Italy/Thailand).

These exceptional young photographers were selected out of 1.619 received submissions from 69 countries. Their portfolios were published in the internationally distributed Foam Magazine #55: Talent. Subsequently, Foam will now present their work in a travelling group exhibition.

Portrait

Although Foam Talent symbolises a rich range of genres and uses of photography, the edition of Foam Talent 2020 is characterised by (sometimes lengthy) research, in which the role of the portrait is a recurring theme. Where Alba Zari tries to construct a portrait of her unknown biological father through old family photos and computer technology, Luther Konadu's work is a reflection of the photographic portrait itself: through cutting and pasting he investigates the construction of identity.

Adji Dieye responds to economically determined stereotypes and traditional roles by reinventing an African tradition of studio portrait photography. Karla Hiraldo Voleau distorts fact and fiction and undermines the male gaze through selfies and intimate portraits of her Latin lovers. The diverse series and artworks in Foam Talent 2020 show individuals and communities that have long remained invisible or in the margins, exploring who we are and how we see ourselves in a constantly changing reality: between the analogue and the digital, between myths and belief systems, between the private and public and between fact and fiction.

Foam Talks

Listen to the podcast series

Listen to Foam Talks: Talent Edition and dive deeper into the portfolios of this year's Foam Talents. In the series, we aim to evoke a conversation around their approach and offer an insight into the discourses surrounding a specific project.

Explore related

from the series Maggic Cube, 2019  © Adji Dieye courtesy of the artist.jpg

explore connections

Foam Talent 2020