From the series (Inter)Faces of Predictions

, Sheung Yiu looks into different practices of face reading, facial prediction and facial recognition. For this multi-medial series, consisting of a video essay, a series of self-portraits and an extensive research notebook of visual references, he submitted his own face as a test case: scanning, screening and analysing his features in order to understand the processes behind it. 

In his practice, Sheung Yiu combines East-Asian traditions of facial readings, promising to predict one's future based on facial features, with contemporary facial recognition technologies, drawing a striking parallel between Eastern and Western practices around facial studies.  

On a deeper level, the project questions the way different technologies, whether digital or analogue, algorithmic or esoteric, shape the perceptions and biases connected to our faces. Through this, he recognises that a face is never just a face: it is what we, or the systems we use, want to read into it. 

Animation

Notebook scan, from the series Interfaces of Prediction

Facial landmarks (2023), from the series Interfaces of Predictions

Twisted Face (2023), from the series Interfaces of Predictions

Fortune in My Thirties from the series Interfaces of Predictions, 2023

Faceless (2023), from the series Interfaces of Predictions

Scan (2023), from the series Interfaces of Predictions

Between Two Charts (2023), from the series Interfaces of Predictions

Old and new moles (2023), from the series Interfaces of Predictions

Face Mesh (2023), from the series Interfaces of Predictions

Ancient Prediction (2023), from the series Interfaces of Predictions

Sheung Yiu

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

System 8, from the series Kosmos, 2011

visible in

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

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

In a four-part series led by acclaimed Polaroid artists Rhiannon Adams, Ellen Carey & John Reuter, and Marcel Veldman and Foam 3h alumnus Ece Gökalp, the participating students were able to use the recently launched Polaroid I-2 camera – the first advanced instant camera with built-in manual controls. Moreover, they had the chance to discuss their perspectives about the possibilities of storytelling and the enduring relevancy of this unique medium.

Students as well as young, self-made creatives approached the medium from various angles and shed light on its artistic, social, and technological significance by pushing the boundaries of what instant film can achieve. The results of their collective efforts are now on display as part of an exclusive online exhibition.

This programme is made possible with the support of Polaroid.

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

PORTRAITURE
AND
THE PHYSICAL
PHOTOGRAPH

“Polaroid photo processes are completed in situ, there is no external hand involved. It’s pure – just me, the camera, the environment, and the film.” 

POLAROID PHOTOGRAPHY 
AS AN ARTISTIC MEDIUM

CAPTURING 
REAL 
               LIFE

“In between all the skateboard tricks and stuff, I like something contrasty. Instant film for me is the perfect way to do this. It gives you an example of the free life aside from the actual skateboard.”

Polaroid Photography in Multiple Perspectives

For more information and visual material please contact the Press Office of Foam via pressoffice@foam.org.

Note to editors

see more

Announcement Winner Foam Paul Huf Award 2024

After Anahit, 2023

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

Kismet: online exhibition intro

Variations of an Erosion op. 1, 2023

Eye 4 - Detect, perceive, explore, 2023

Still from the video Foam 3h: Ece Gökalp - After Anahit, 2023

Foam 3h: Giath Taha Becoming a Ghost

Still from Foam 3h: Sem Langendijk - Haven, 2023

Foam 3h

Still from the video Foam 3h Steffi Reimers - Guilty Grounds

Foam 3H: Steffi Reimers Guilty Grounds

Polaroid x Foam: Artist Talk Rhiannon Adam

Artist Talk with Rhiannon Adam

⁠⁠“Now I think I know why gods⁠⁠ Are so partial to heights—to mountain⁠⁠ Tops and spires, to proud iroko trees⁠⁠ And thorn-guarded holy bombax,⁠⁠ Why petty household divinities⁠⁠ Will sooner perch on a rude board⁠⁠ Strung precariously from brittle rafters⁠⁠ Of a thatched roof than sit squarely⁠⁠ On safe earth.”⁠⁠  Flying from Collected Poems by Chinua Achebe⁠⁠

Maybe my eyes turned blue, 2021

Flying from Collected Poems by Chinua Achebe⁠⁠

Explore

How does a new generation of image-makers from Turkey use photography to reflect on the world around them? 

As part of the multi-year project Kısmet, this online group exhibition gives a snapshot of the emerging community of contemporary image-makers from Turkey. Kısmet is inspired by longstanding cultural, diplomatic and economic ties between Turkey and the Netherlands and delves into the diverse and intricate facets of Turkish visual culture, as seen through the lens of different generations of image-makers. Here, we present the work of four talented visual artists, born after 1990, whose voices will shape the vast visual landscape in Turkey, and beyond, in the upcoming years. 

Showing a diverse range of visual styles, what connects these four artists is the profound personal investment they put in their work. Their photography holds a personal dimension that goes beyond ‘merely’ having an affinity for the chosen subject matter. Rather, their practice and the resulting bodies of work reveal a deep connection to their perception of the world around them. What stands out are the distinct translations of their inner worlds, whether this is in the methodology, subject matter or aesthetics. 

For Oğulcan Arslan, the personal comes forward not only through the story he documents, but also through photographic techniques he uses. In 

, he intimately captures a friendship by adjusting light, exposure and composition to the emotions he experiences himself or from his friend. 

Alp Peker finds solace in their photographic practice to voice their protest against unspoken issues and social taboos they experience on a daily basis. Their photographs, shown here under the title 

, are an ode to the community Alp lives in, their goals, struggles, and weirdnesses.  

Kıvılcım S. Güngörün defines her work as autobiographical fiction. The collages in 

are a direct translation of her inner workings: intuitive visual responses to questions that pop into her mind, or new questions that arise during the process.  

, Cansu Yıldıran studies the power dynamics and gender inequality that they encountered in their ancestral village in Northern Turkey. Inspired by the personal stories of the women of their family, Cansu creates emotional atmospheres that investigate their own sense of identity, of belonging and the continuous search for a safe space.

How to

Oğulcan Arslan 

From the series All the Rivers Flow In the Nuthouse

               

Alp Peker

Untitled

From the series Amel Defteri: a notebook of deeds

From the series Amel defteri: A Notebook of Deeds

             

Kıvılcım S. Güngörün 

From the series I lab yu

From the series I Lab Yu

“My day becomes my laboratory, and I lab back.” 

                          

Cansu Yıldıran 

From the series The Dispossessed

      

Image from the series After Anahit, 2023

Kısmet: New Perspectives. Four Contemporary Image-makers from Turkey

Next Level: Sara Cwynar

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.  

FINN // at the table god unhinged his ribs

Intro

Kyara 
Bhiekharie 

Rhiannon

I Want to Break Free

Karma Chameleon

Kyara Bhiekarie over haar werk 'Mijn moeder, de ZZP-er'

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

Fashion

about the artist

Dina
Bousbaa

Growing pains. Chefchaouen 2017

The same route as yesterday. Tangiers 2017

Sea of opportunities. Assilah 2017

Reaching out. Amsterdam 2016

May our future be as bright. Assilah 2017

Thoughts about tomorrow. Assilah 2017

Dina Bousbaa over haar werk 'Backbone'

Iyanla 
Etnel

Pimba Doti

Bere tan bere

Teri Den

Iyanla Etnel over haar werk 'Te Yu No Sabi Owru Bun, Yu No Kan Sabi Nyun Bun'

"In the evening we put a curtain in front of the mirror because someone can harm you through the mirror."

Te Neti Doro

Trowé Gi Gron' Mama

Etnel explores the relationship between her and her late aunt. They are connected by the same aching feet, but out of shame within the family, this is not spoken about.  

Deng Di Du Mi

Yasemin 
Demirözcan 

"As a child of the diaspora, I've always felt a distance between myself and my ancestral land, constantly questioning the concept of home."

Fields of Solace

"Life here is simple and far from the hustle and bustle of the city, where they live the rest of the year."

Directing The Flock

Canım Dedem

Yasemin Demirözcan over haar werk 'Strangely Familiar'

Flying Shoe

Reloading Memories

"My uncle playing with his air rifle in front of my grandparents' house in Yeşildere. This is where my father spent the first ten years of his life."

A Shepherd’s Pride

Wheels of Legacy

"A Renault Toros (the Turkish-built version of the R12) navigating through a vast, open landscape, symbolizing solitude and the exploration of my identity."

Tal 
Ben Yakir 

FINN // came apart in my hands

BENNI // when i ate his ribs i became a man

BENNI // or maybe just ribs braided together at the table.

RORY // there was a table i sat & ate at until i was something.

RIBS

JOHN // you know when you become something it eats you?

RORY // there was a table i sat & ate at until i was something

Foam Talent Call 2023

Woman I from the series FLAT DEATH and other pictures, 2015

Foam Talent Network Brunch, 2022

Empowering the voices of Amsterdam’s youth through photography

For information and visual material please check www.foam.org/press or contact the Press Office of Foam on +31 (0)20 5516500 / pressoffice@foam.org

Karin van Gilst appointed director of Foam

Ara Güler - A Play of Light and Shadow

Aby Fulani

A Closer Look — Ece Gökalp

About the artist

more at Foam

Foam 3h: Sem Langendijk Haven

Louis Vuitton Jeff Koons Rubens Bag, 2020

"Had I been blessed with even limited access to my own mind there would have been no reason to write. I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear."

Contemporary Floral Arrangement - #144551 (1967) #2 The Relationship is a Matter of Style, 2023

"He told me if we had everything we need, we wouldn’t need language to ask for anything."

"I’m talking about the New Woman, and a pattern which was invisible to the subjects when they lived it."

Doll Index 1, 1779-1950, 2022

Doll Index 2, 1733-1950, 2022

"I’m only doing it if it makes me feel good. Which may include buying things."

"I just want the new. I want you to be new to me and me to be new to you."

Sahara from SSENSE.com 1-2-3, 2023

Western Costume Jacket (Cheerleader), Skirt (Cheerleader) Showgirl (Bra Top, Long Fringe), 2023

Pamela as Pamela, 2023

"Turn your face toward the past future. But don’t get too nostalgic about it."

Ideal House, 2023

"Yes, I’m looking for a short-cut through the complexity and conditions of the historicity of my own age."

Glass

Sheung Yiu

Amin Yousefi

Monuments, Aletsch #2, 2018

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

Polaroid Photography in Multiple Perspectives

Announcement Winner Foam Paul Huf Award 2024

Kısmet

Through the lens of Turkish visual culture

Explore

Kısmet: New Perspectives. Four Contemporary Image-makers from Turkey

Next Level: Sara Cwynar

Empowering the voices of Amsterdam’s youth through photography

Karin van Gilst appointed director of Foam

Ara Güler - A Play of Light and Shadow

After Anahit
A Closer Look at the Work of Ece Gökalp

Foam 3h: Sem Langendijk Haven

Images about images: reflecting on the works of Sara Cwynar

Dad on his search for Hüseyin:
about the exhibition

Link room
Spain under Franco

Foam on the Mercatorplein: Olgaç Bozalp – Dad on His Search for Hüseyin

Caption This
#captionthemuseum

Double Play

Buying photography
Where to start?

Launch new First Editions by Vera van Dam

Glass

Sheung Yiu

Amin Yousefi

Monuments, Aletsch #2, 2018

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

Polaroid Photography in Multiple Perspectives

Announcement Winner Foam Paul Huf Award 2024

Kısmet

Through the lens of Turkish visual culture

Explore

Kısmet: New Perspectives. Four Contemporary Image-makers from Turkey

Next Level: Sara Cwynar

Empowering the voices of Amsterdam’s youth through photography

Karin van Gilst appointed director of Foam

Ara Güler - A Play of Light and Shadow

After AnahitA Closer Look at the Work of Ece Gökalp

Foam 3h: Sem Langendijk Haven

Images about images: reflecting on the works of Sara Cwynar

Dad on his search for Hüseyin:about the exhibition

Link roomSpain under Franco

Foam on the Mercatorplein: Olgaç Bozalp – Dad on His Search for Hüseyin

Caption This#captionthemuseum

Double Play

Buying photographyWhere to start?

Launch new First Editions by Vera van Dam

After Anahit
A Closer Look at the Work of Ece Gökalp

Dad on his search for Hüseyin:
about the exhibition

Link room
Spain under Franco

Caption This
#captionthemuseum

Buying photography
Where to start?