Created by Gerco de Ruijter in 2003. The artwork is a c-print on aluminum and displayed at 50 x 50 cm.

Today one might think that this image was taken with the help of a drone. However, back in 2003, drones weren’t all that common. Instead, the Dutch photographer Gerco de Ruijter attached an analogue camera to a kite to get a bird's-eye view of the construction site. De Ruijter’s artistic practice is characterised by his use of unique perspectives, allowing him to search for patterns from the sky to create abstract representations of the landscape. The geometric shapes in the image consist of areas from the building site in different stages of construction, giving the image a mosaic-like feel. 

In the early 2000s, several photographers were invited to capture the construction of the financial district of Amsterdam (Zuidas). 

 belongs to a series that presents Gerco de Ruijter’s interpretation of this project. 

Mahler IV

 in 2004. The artwork is an analogue c-print and is displayed at 61 x 80 cm.

System 8, from the series Kosmos, 2011

visible in

is the main business district of Amsterdam, located south of the inner city. Starting in 2001, every year two to four photographers and visual artists received an assignment to capture this area and its rapidly changing environment. The ten works by Jasper Wiedeman that feature in 

 are a documentation of the garden that he created in the middle of the Zuidas.

06.09.2004

 in 2018. The artwork is an ice photogram digitally printed on glass, and is displayed at 33 x 40 cm.

In an attempt to minimize the devastating effect of global warming on the glaciers of the Swiss Alps, each summer they are covered with geotextile blankets that are designed to keep the ice cool. Douglas Mandry journeyed his native country, intrigued by this desperate attempt to prevent the receding glaciers from further melting. The artist collected disused pieces of geotextile from the mountains, and later processed them as a base for found photographs of early twentieth-century alpinism in the region. Mandry also took bits of broken ice from the glacier with him in a cool box. In the darkroom, he put the ice in the enlarger, where it started to melt and drip onto the photo paper, creating a colourful aura of the glacier. Mandry then reproduced these photograms on glass plates. 

could be considered an index of the vanishing glaciers of Switzerland: frozen time, captured in an instant by the principles of photography.

Monuments, Aletsch #2, 2018

 in 2011. Using c-print as the medium, the artwork is displayed at 99 x 129 cm.

 is reminiscent of outer space; it is a familiar picture  of the infinite, of the unknown and total chaos that surrounds us. The photographs in the series 

 by Joris Jansen refuse the reading of the medium of photography as a method to make things visible. His photographs rather make things invisible. Jansen rephotographs the surface of an analogue photograph. By doing so he creates an imaginary universe full of milky ways and swarming planets. This new universe is far removed from the initial photograph and thus only the materiality of the analogue photograph seems to be relevant for the creation of a completely new universe. 

System 8

Kardeşlik from the series Turunç

 in 2020. Using photography printed on transparent fabric  as the medium, the artwork is displayed at 250 x 203 cm.

Evimde from the series Turunç

more artworks

 (Bitter Orange) records the daily lives of young men with a Turkish background in the suburbs of Paris and Berlin. Solène Gün, herself a child of Turkish immigrants and raised in a Parisian suburb, captures the fraternity and strong mutual solidarity that can also go hand in hand with a lack of perspective.

The work is named after an orange commonly found in Turkey. The fruit is a metaphor for the bittersweet existence of a community that is frequently the target of negative stereotyping. Torn between the conflicting urge to hide and the wish to be heard, these men are portrayed faceless. Gün’s focus is on the symbols and gestures through which their identities are expressed, such as a necklace, a prayer rug or the silhouette of a brotherly handshake.

Evimde from the series Turunç

 in 2020. Using photography printed on satin paper as the medium, the artwork is displayed at 110 x 90 cm.

. Through this image, the symbol of fraternity is placed at the forefront in order to escape the stereotypes people may have on suburbs and young from the Turkish community.

Kardeşlik from the series Turunç

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

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

 in 2013. Using inkjet print as the medium, the artwork is displayed at 120 x 96 cm. The work explores genres such as the 

Current Study #3 is an experiment to photograph something that normally cannot be documented visually: air. 

Current Study #3, 2013

The work of Sjoerd Knibbeler focuses on visualising invisible natural phenomena such as the wind, air movement and climatological conditions. His work could be defined as ‘constructed photography’ – the construction of all sorts of self-imagined and created objects mostly takes place in the studio. There he simulates wind, clouds or a tornado, and he experiments with fragile constructions in a variety of materials such as plastic, paper and fiberboard. Knibbeler explores the paradoxical relation between the still, two-dimensional character of photography and his often transparent, moving, voluminous subjects. He uses photography as a means of visualising his ideas, but everything he photographs is real. Through his artistic practice, he proves the camera to be able to reveal processes that wouldn’t be noticed otherwise.

Current Study #3

Created by Katinka Goldberg in 2014. The artwork is printed on Canson platine fiber rag - glossy - 310g, mounted on dibond and displayed at 100 x 70 cm.

Waves from the Web, 2009

Visible in

, another of Katinka Goldberg’s works from the series 

, what stands out (other than the difference in palette) is the difference in distance. Instead of a close-up that fills the entire frame, 

 shows a small, cut-out photo piece in the middle of a blue plane. On the cut-out, we can distinguish the same kind of hair as in 

, the series that this photo is part of, is the second entry in a trilogy in which Katinka Goldberg investigates her relationship with her family in a poetic manner. The Swedish term Bristningar literally translates to “striae” (stripes in the skin caused by stretching), but it also has the more figurative meaning of “shortcomings”. The series consists of collages created by Goldberg that depict the tension between closeness and distance and, in a process of healing, deconstruct the body and put it back together. The question she keeps asking herself is: how much can you take away from yourself without disappearing completely? 

The Birdnest, 2014 from the series Bristningar

The Birdnest, 2014

This close-up of curly hair and how the light falls across it give this image an intimate feel. At the same time, it is cut off in such a way that viewers have no idea who this hair belongs to or what the person looks like. With this image, photographer Katinka Goldberg captures a particular emotional mood that is typical of her work. 

The Hair, 2014 from the series Bristningar

The Hair, 2014

Created by Harit Srikhao in 2017. The artwork is an inkjet print on Epson satin paper and displayed at 124 x 100 cm.

In Hindu and Buddhist mythology, Apsaras are immortal nymphs that often appear as attractive young women whose purpose it is to seduce. This portrait by artist Harit Srikhao, part of the series 

, presents a modern, surrealist depiction of an Apsara. The visual idiom that the artist uses is derived from fetish fantasies, Buddhist symbols, and Thai culture. In 

, Srikhao reflects on the glorification of the monarchy in his country and comments on the role of depictions of the king in the Thai people’s everyday lives. Srikhao’s works have had their consequences: in the past, various of his images were removed from an exhibition in Bangkok because they criticised the actions of the military regime in power at the time. 

The Portrait of an Apsara, 2017 from the series Mt Meru, 2017

The Portrait of an Apsara, 2017

Created by Harit Srikhao in 2017. The artwork is an inkjet print on Epson satin paper and displayed at 116 x 144 cm.

In the average Thai household, a photo of the king takes pride of place, occupying the highest, most prominent place on the wall. Having grown up with this glorification of royalty, artist Harit Srikhao reflects on the divine status attributed to the king of Thailand. The idolatrous worship of his image is a deeply-rooted part of Thai society, and offers refuge in a fantasy world. In the series 

, the name of a sacred mountain that also forms the centre of the universe in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology, Srikhao shows the viewer this surrealist landscape full of fantastic, divine figures. His photos do not depict any nirvana, however – if anything, they put one in mind of violent rituals, cannibalism and masochism. In this way, Srikhao’s 

 emphasises the paradox of what he encounters in Thailand: the everyday worship of a portrait of the ruling power versus the absence of room to question its meaning. 

The Indra Reincarnation, 2017 from the series Mt Meru, 2017

The Indra Reincarnation, 2017

Created by Namsa Leuba in 2015. The artwork is an inkjet print on satin paper on dibond 2mm and displayed at 60 x 43.8 cm.

This photo is bursting with graphic forms and lively colours, and the model’s posture radiates a sense of pride. The pink background contrasts with the yellow on Damien’s cheek. Aesthetically, this photo resembles a fashion shoot, much like you can find in a fashion magazine. Yet the photographer Namsa Leuba actually works in the space between multiple genres: inspired by fashion photography, she combines this form with documentary practices and performance art. In het series 

, she explores Nigeria’s innovative and creative youth culture. The Nigerian capital of Lagos, with its bustling chaos and resolute energy, served as Leuba’s inspiration for this series. To create 

, she collaborated with local fashion designers and models to translate the city’s vitality into a visual explosion of clothing, props and accessories. The resulting images, such as this portrait of Damien, present a complex, dynamic and contemporary reflection of Lagos, a city that proudly proclaims its own identity. 

Damien, 2015 from the series Next Generation Lagos, 2015

Damien, 2015

Created by Jack Davison in 2015. The artwork is mounted on PVC and displayed at 53 x 43 cm.

What is probably just a randomly composed street scene – a red traffic light with an advertisement banner in the background – is transformed by the dark context into an abstract composition in which the elements lose their original meaning. It gives 

 a collage-like appearance. In his work, photographer Jack Davison often draws on the historical canon of photography. This image is reminiscent of the abstract works created by iconic photographers like Ernst Haas or Saul Leiter. It is typical for Davison to use a wide variety of cameras. This particular photo was made with a Nikon D800, which is a digital mirror reflex camera. For other images he used for instance an analogue Mamiya RB67, a medium-format camera, and even an iPhone. 

Untitled, 2015. New York, USA from the series Personal work, 2006-2016

Untitled, 2015. New York, USA.

Created by Kadara Enyeasi in 2016. The artwork is displayed at 100 x 100 cm.

When creating a composition, the choice of which elements to position next to or above each other – that is, the juxtaposition of elements – is crucial. This is what enables the artist to explore how different parts interact and to highlight contrasts or similarities. What strikes you about the background in this work by Kadara Enyeasi? In this collage, Enyeasi has placed two black-and-white portraits on a graphic framework with colour fields and text. The photographs have been taken from their original context and in that way have been reinterpreted. The artist smoothly combines different art disciplines to create an intriguing and aesthetically pleasing image. Drawing on both the geometrical principles of modernism and African textile design, Enyeasi blends together European and African art forms in a playful yet critical manner.

Wo èyìn wò (Watch Your Back), 2016 from the series Scenario I: After L’Ouverture, 2016

Wo èyìn wò (Watch Your Back)

What strikes you about this experimental collage portrait by the Nigerian photographer Kadara Enyeasi? It might be the large graphic letters, or it is the leafy branch suspended from the subject’s ear? The subject, portrayed ‘en profil’, is mirrored in the background. This double portrait is surrounded by various coloured and checkered areas, reminiscent of the graphic patterns of African textile designs. The graphic elements also refer to the principles of the modernists, such as the architect Le Corbusier, known for his minimalist and formalist designs. The ambivalent references to both African and western traditions are inspired by the ‘Arodan’ principle: a Yoruba custom of keeping children occupied and out of the way by sending them in search of something that doesn’t exist. The hidden message in Enyeasi’s work is humorous and desperate in equal measure: the dressed-up men hurtling through the image embody a complaint against the anti-homosexual laws of the artist’s home country of Nigeria.    

Abetí ajá (Dog Eared Cap), 2016 from the series Scenario I: After L’Ouverture, 2016

Abetí ajá (Dog Eared Cap)

Created by Justin James Reed in 2011. The artwork is an archival pigment print.

Narrow your eyes while looking at this image: a complex interplay of flowing black lines stands out against the grainy grey asphalt. The light and dark parts of the photograph delicately balance each other out, and together create an abstract image. This is not the only technique used by Justin James Reed to achieve an abstract effect. Take another look at the photograph: do you see a horizon? As a landscape photographer, Reed deliberately leaves out the horizon so that the hypnotic composition of lines dominates the image. The lack of a horizon makes it difficult for the viewer to find any form of orientation.   

In heaven the darkness is quite beautiful

, with which the American photographer Justin James Reed was selected for Foam Talent 2015. 

Untitled, 2011 from the series In heaven the darkness is quite beautiful, 2010-2012

Untitled 1 from the series In heaven the darkness is quite beautiful

Created by Heikki Kaski. The artwork is a c-print on dibond and displayed at 135 x 100 cm.

Whatever caused this dust cloud? The tire tracks in the sand point to the possible presence of automobiles. When the Finnish photographer drove by the small Californian town of Tranquillity in the summer of 2012, he impulsively decided to pay the town a visit. Drawn by its appealing name, Kaski instead discovered a sweltering unfulfilled dream along an irrigation channel in the arid agrarian region of Fresno County. Despite the melancholy of daily life in Tranquillity, Kaski's images exude a sense of stillness. As menacing as the title may sound, 

 is still a serene image, enhanced by the typical pastel shades of colour that Kaski used throughout the series. For Kaski, Tranquillity isn’t just a real place, but just as much a state of mind.  

, Heikki Kaski was selected as one of the Foam Talents of 2015, in recognition of his unique ability to capture the beauty of everyday life, and the beauty of desolation. 

Dust devil 2 from the series Tranquillity, 2014

Untitled 3 from the series Tranquillity

During the summer of 2012, during a long drive from North California to Los Angeles across the I-5 Freeway, the Finnish photographer Heikki Kaski impulsively decided to visit the small town of Tranquillity. Drawn by its appealing name, Kaski instead discovered a sweltering unfulfilled dream along an irrigation channel in the arid agrarian region of Fresno County. Nevertheless, this small community proved to possess an elusive power of attraction that is difficult to put into words. Kaski’s images show a certain beauty and serenity, in an overall atmosphere of missed opportunities and desolation. This is also exuded by the photograph Curved Tree. Due to the thick fog, just the corner house and empty swing are vaguely visible, but the eye is immediately drawn to a tree that appears to have been bent over by the wind, like reeds along a riverbank on a stormy day. All elements together form a mysterious, almost surrealist whole. 

, Heikki Kaski was part of the 2015 selection of Foam Talent.   

Curved tree from the series Tranquillity, 2014

Untitled 2 from the series Tranquillity

Created by Heikki Kaski. The artwork is a c-print on dibond and displayed at 136 x 100.5 cm.

As the sun sets, the nearest valleys disappear into the dark shadow of the surrounding mountains, while the far-off landscape continues to bask in a golden glow. Tucked away in this expansive landscape are towns and villages with utopian names such as Freedom and Hope. Inspired by these names, in the summer of 2012 photographer Heikki Kaski impulsively decided to stop in a place called Tranquillity: a community in the arid agrarian area of Fresno County, between the I-5 Freeway and the mountains of California’s Sierra National Park. Upon arrival, Kaski finds a town that has been forgotten and where the hope held out by the ‘American Dream’ has long since disappeared. From his bird’s eye vantage point, Kaski offers the viewer a view of the landscape and captures the silence and beauty that envelops these towns.  

, Heikki Kaski was part of the 2015 selection of Foam Talent.

Sierras from the series Tranquillity, 2014

Untitled 1 from the series Tranquillity

Created by Manon Wertenbroek in 2014. The artwork is a pigment print on Hahnemuhle Fine Art 285gr, on aluminum, on wood, and with paint, and displayed at 90.5 x 72 cm.

The bright colours and cartoon-like drawings on the model’s body create a playful image. At the same time, the model’s elegant posture might remind you of a classic sculpture from the Renaissance era. In 

, Manon Wertenbroek combines the art of sculpture with the medium of photography. By incorporating the model into all sorts of compositions of colours, circles, blocks, numbers and frames, Wertenbroek explores a rather unconventional approach to portraiture. The young man in the photograph is her brother. They were very close as children, but grew apart as they grew older. Creating this series was a way for Wertenbroek to restore the bond with her brother. Yet her brother cannot recognise himself in the portraits, so that these represent her own projections rather than his actual self. 

Manon Wertenbroek was part of the 2015 Foam Talent selection. Her image 

 served as the cover image for the talent issue of Foam Magazine. 

Tandem Rose, 2014 from the series Tandem, 2014

Tandem Rose, 2014

Created by Jean-Vincent Simonet in 2014. The artwork is an inkjet print and displayed at 90 x 120 cm.

When Jean-Vincent Simonet chanced upon the book 

 (The Songs of Maldoror), he felt hugely attracted to its dark, theatrical, repulsive character. This avant-garde book, written in 1869 by the French poet Comte de Lautréamont, is an ode to the rebelliousness of youth, blasphemy, and the triumph of dreams over reality. Simonet decided to breathe new life into this literary mystery. His photographs are based on the atmosphere conjured up in the book: gothic angels framed against an overwhelming and digitally enhanced blue starry sky; dead branches that melt into pink and blue shapes and call to mind plucks of hair. The eclectic style inspired Simonet to use both analogue and digital photography, applying digital techniques to distort and blend together photographs. As a result, the book’s mysterious atmosphere becomes palpable in the images. It will likely not come as a surprise to learn that this book was once banned on account of its blasphemous character. 

Maldoror #2, 2014 from the series Maldoror, 2014

Maldoror #2

Created by Lucas Foglia in 2010. The artwork is a digital chromogenic print on Fuji Crystal Archive paper and displayed at 76,2 x 60,0 cm.

What story do you think photographer Lucas Foglia wanted to tell with the image, 

? The title of course contains a hint: a woman named Amanda is dousing herself with a garden hose, apparently after a birthday party has taken place. Her clothes and hair are already soaked, suggesting she has stood like this for some time. Her closed eyes and facial expression appear to express a sense of contentment. Would the water be a welcome cooling shower on a hot day? Take your time to again look closely at this portrait of Amanda, paying particular attention to the background, which seems to reinforce the mood of serenity. In his series 

, of which this photograph is a part, Foglia in fact portrays the harsh reality of ranchers’ lives in the western United States: long working days, and a permanent struggle with drought and ever-encroaching mining industries. The portrait of Amanda captures the romantic notion that outsiders often have when thinking about life on a farm surrounded by nature.  

Amanda after a Birthday Party, Jackson Wyoming, 2010 from the series Frontcountry, 2009-2013

Amanda after a Birthday Party, Jackson Wyoming, 2010

Created by Jaya Pelupessy & Felix van Dam in 2014. The artwork is displayed at 95 x 76 cm.

In how many ways can you create a photographic image? From the complicated chemical procedure in the medium’s early years to the advanced technology that underpins digital cameras: besides being an art form, photography can also be seen as a consistently evolving science. The artist duo Jaya Pelupessy and Felix van Dam became intrigued by the idea that a silkscreen print is, in principle, also light sensitive and hence can serve as a photo negative. Despite being told by others that the idea was ‘impossible’, the duo was determined to create their own unique ‘silkscreen’ camera. Eventually they managed to coat a silkscreen with a light-sensitive emulsion and to expose this to direct sunlight for two hours. You might wonder what this story has to do with the white sculpture wearing sunglasses. The point is that, in an attempt to reduce the required exposure time, the duo decided to experiment with ultraviolet light. The required amount of UV light forced Pelupessy and Van Dam to wear sunglasses, to protect their eyes against the intense light.  

Glasses, 2016 from the series Traces of the Familiar

Glasses - Traces of the Familiar

Created by Egon van Herreweghe. The artwork is a Vogue magazine page altered with trichlorethylene, glued on plywood  and displayed at 40 x 30 cm.

The photographic medium is strongly connected to the world of fashion, fuelled by early fashion photographers like Edward Steichen and Richard Avedon. Vogue Magazine, as one of the world’s most important fashion magazines, publishes and largely dictates through images what counts as fashionable and is ‘en vogue’. But what happens when we don’t look at the image itself, but at its reproductions? This question forms the core of the work by visual artist Egon Van Herreweghe. 

Instead of making photographs himself, Van Herreweghe transforms existing photographs from Vogue magazines by using acetone to distort the ink. The process results in painting-like, alienating images, such as the work shown here, from the series 

. Whereas fashion photographs on billboards and in bus stops often just flash by, Van Herreweghe manages to get viewers to stop and take a good look at his work. His art urges us to reflect on the use and consumption of visual material in our daily lives. 

artworks

Mahler IV

06.09.2004

Monuments, Aletsch #2, 2018

System 8, from the series Kosmos

Evimde from the series Turunç

Kardeşlik from the series Turunç

Untitled, from the series Afronauts

Current Study #3

The Birdnest, 2014

The Hair, 2014

The Portrait of an Apsara, 2017

The Indra Reincarnation, 2017

Damien, 2015

Untitled, 2015. New York, USA.

Wo èyìn wò (Watch Your Back)

Abetí ajá (Dog Eared Cap)

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

Untitled

Tandem Rose, 2014

Maldoror #2

Amanda after a Birthday Party, Jackson Wyoming, 2010

Glasses - Traces of the Familiar

Gucci