Foam is excited to present the Foam 3h exhibition Young Human by ShuShu Sieberns. Her work is an ode to queerness and focuses on the conflicting perspective of the artist’s traditional Russian family, especially in her relationship with her deeply religious grandmother. Young Human is a personal journey and visualizes how the artist tries to create a bridge between two different worlds and wants these two cultures to coexist. The exhibition features an installation referencing the living room of ShuShu’s grandmother.
There are fairies by the lake, from the filmstrip series 36 Serendipities, 2021
© ShuShu Sieberns.
Still from short film Young Human (Russian: Молодой человек/romanized: Molodoy chelovek), 2023
© ShuShu Sieberns.
Portrait with goats from the series Motherlands – three faithful things, 2021
© ShuShu Sieberns / Photographed by and in collaboration with Edinlisa Go.
Young Human serves as a poignant exploration of the artist’s internal conflict. The films and photos in the exhibition tie together her queer identity and the influence of her grandmother. ShuShu is an artist who does not limit herself solely to photography: she uses film, photography, poetry and performance to convey her ideas. In Young Human she applies this multimedia approach by recreating the familiar atmosphere she always experienced at her grandmother’s house.
The title, Young Human, is a direct translation from the Russian phrase ‘Molodoy Chelovek’, commonly used by young women to refer to their male partners. ShuShu adopted this term to talk to her grandmother about her relationship with her non-binary partner. There is an ambiguity between how her grandmother interprets the word and how ShuShu uses the word. The exhibition is an emotional and personal reflection about queerness, intergenerational love and belonging where Shushu takes the viewer along in her personal journey.
ShuShu's culturally eclectic practice addresses the complexities of nationality and identity in today's global landscape. While her German-Russian heritage hints at broader political undertones, ShuShu's focus remains introspective, centred on the human journey in search of defining your identity. This nuanced approach ensures that her work transcends political discourse, resonating on a deeply human level.
In the light of Queer & Pride Amsterdam additional programming around Young Human will be organised.
About the artist
ShuShu Sieberns (2000, Germany) is a multidisciplinary artist; her practice includes poetry, film, photography and performance. ShuShu graduated from the VAV Moving Image department at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in 2023. Her work revolves around interhuman connections, creating odes, organizing poetry evenings and working on interdisciplinary projects. Her graduation work Young Human (2023) was nominated for the Sprouts Young Talent by SBK Kunstuitleen and shown at Eye Film Cinema, Amsterdam. Shushu took part in several performances in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, exhibited in NEVERNEVERLAND and created a play on grief called play Pallazzo Dellux(e) performed at Paradiso in Amsterdam.
About Foam 3h
Foam 3h is a project space in the museum where recently graduated artists and photographers are invited to present their first solo museum exhibition. For this space, Foam selects national and international artists who are challenged to experiment, surprise and push the limits of photography.
Young Human by ShuShu Sieberns can be seen from 15 June – 25 August 2024 at Foam. Open daily 10am - 6pm, Thurs/Fri 10am - 9pm.
Foam
Keizersgracht 609
1017 DS Amsterdam
The Netherlands
+ 31 (0)20 5516500
www.foam.org
Note to editors
For more information and visual material please contact the Press Office of Foam via pressoffice@foam.org.
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The exhibition is made possible by DLA Piper, the Van Bijlevelt Foundation and the Mondriaan Fund.
