Next Level 2024

Paolo Cirio

Previously at Next Level

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

Waves from the Web, 2009

Visible in

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 Guillaume Simoneau in 2015. The artwork is a pigment print. It explores themes as environment, ecosystems and science.

Maldoror #6, 2014

Foam is supported by the VriendenLoterij, Foam Members, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, the VandenEnde Foundation and the City of Amsterdam.

In 2021 Foam receives additional support from the Mondriaan Fund and Kickstart Cultuurfonds

visible in

In the genre of documentary photography, it is quite common to produce work in series: multiple photographs that together tell a certain story. Each individual image contributes in a certain way to the bigger story, and it is the photographer who determines how and in which form. For example, in the documentary series 

 the photographer Guillaume Simoneau follows a group of scientists studying the impact of climate change and human interventions on nature, in the so-called ‘Experimental Lake Area’ in Canada. 

 is a close-up of a pair of hands repairing a net. How does this photo relate to the other images in the series, such as 

On Earth – Imaging, Technology and the Natural World

. In this exhibition, 27 contemporary artists reflected on the relationship between humans, technology and nature. 

Mending net, on location ELA, Canada, 2015 from the series Experimental Lake

Mending, on location ELA, Canada, 2015

Created by Guillaume Simoneau in 2015. The artwork is a digital pigment print and displayed at 40 x 31 cm. It explores themes as environment, ecosystems and science.

Just as scientific researchers meticulously record their observations, the Canadian photographer Guillaume Simoneau meticulously observes the paradoxical relationship between humans and nature. His series 

 documents how a group of scientists perform ecological experiments at remote lakes in the vast wilderness of North-west Ontario, Canada. These experiments are part of their study into the impact of human activities on vulnerable ecosystems, for example through pollution and climate change. 

 offers an inside view of the mundane aspects of important scientific research, in which ordinary items such as a bucket, kitchen towel and plastic camping table play a useful role. Guillaume Simoneau’s series 

Location lab two from the series Experimental Lake

Location lab two, on location ELA, Canada, 2015

Created by Guillaume Simoneau in 2014. The artwork is a pigment print and displayed at 40.5 x 30.5 cm. It explores themes as environment, ecosystems and science.

Everything in the world, including humans, consists of atoms; they are the tiny building blocks of life. In this photograph, atoms are represented as black, white and red spheres and combined to form molecules. In his series 

, photographer Guilaume Simoneau follows the daily activities of a group of scientists investigating the human impact on nature. The cool blue hue in the image appears well chosen to reflect the sterile, scientific atmosphere of a laboratory. At the same time, the playful molecule model, dangling from the ceiling like an improvised star constellation, contrasts unexpectedly with the professionalism and serious nature of the scientific research taking place here. Guillaume Simoneau’s series 

Mobile, ELA field station, Canada, 2014 from the series Experimental Lake

Mobile, ELA field station, Canada, 2014

 in 2015. The artwork is a digital pigment print. It explores themes as 

Experimental Lake is set around a world-class research facility looking into human impact on nature. It is situated within the pristine natural environment of the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) in north-west Ontario, Canada. 58 lakes comprise a natural laboratory where a community of international scientists test the effect of new chemical substances and other human inventions on the environment. Their daily activities are monitored by Simoneau as a complex ecosystem in its own right, much like a scientist studies his specimen. Results from case-studies done in the ELA inform environmental policies worldwide. Similarly, Simoneau’s small observations speak of a universal interconnectedness between man and nature, as increasingly mediated through science – and photography. 

Location lab one, on location ELA, Canada, 2015 from the series Experimental Lake

Location lab one, on location ELA, Canada, 2015

 in 2018. The artwork is a digital pigment print and displayed at 41 x 55 cm. It explores themes as 

Lightning Storm Flare from the series Experimental Lake

Lightning Storm Flare

Mayflies by D. McLeod, on location ELA, Canada from the series Experimental Lake

Mayflies by D. McLeod, on location ELA, Canada

 in 2016. The artwork is a c-print soaked in Lake Vyrnwy water and is displayed at 76.2 x 50.8 cm. The artwork makes use of 

Using his surroundings as an additive medium, Brandt’s printed photographs are bathed in a mixture of water collected from the site in which the composition was derived. Through this experimental process, the artist becomes closer to his specific subjects and gains a better understanding of his surroundings as a whole. This controlled technique mirrors the chemical composite of the photographed landscape and therefore symbolises today’s ecological concerns about the deterioration of our natural world.

Lake Vyrnwy, Wales D1, 2016 (dyptich)

 in 2010. Using c-print as the medium, the artwork is displayed at 60 x 40 cm.

Paper Girl 2, from the series World, 2010

A frail and twisted female body dissimulated behind pieces of paper: profoundly influenced by fashion and design, Ina Jang’s images are unconventional and light. She creates a complex and multidimensional world in which reality and fiction are intertwined using different surfaces and layers.

The base of Jang’s work is her experimental curiosity. Many of her images start with drawings or figures, which become obscured in surreal, hyper-stimulated environments. Jang’s goal is to find new perspectives in photography: "Coming up with something that completely breaks the boundaries might be impossible, but I think it’s always nice to try to break personal boundaries." With her conceptually and aesthetically playful approach to photography, Jang crafts her own visual language and creates light-hearted and poetic work.

Paper Girl 2

from the series Marble Ass

Foam produced a series of podcasts on the occasion of Foam Talent 2022. In this second episode, host and curator of this year's Foam Talent exhibition Mirelva Berghout speaks with Foam Talent Pavo Marinović and special guest Barbara Gregov.

Podcast

The Feast Inside, from the series Paintings Dreams and Love

Talent Talks 2022 - Pavo Marinović & Barbara Gregov

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

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Announcement Winner Foam Paul Huf Award 2024

Image from the series Monuments

Unprecedented times have challenged us and the rapid shifts in nature are causing urgency amongst global conversations. How can our past help guide us into the future? 

On Earth⁠ - Matthew Brandt

Making a Lakes and Reservoirs print with Matthew Brandt

Ana Mendieta, Imágen de Yágul (Image from Yagul), 1973, Color photograph, 19 x 12 1/2 inches

Article: Nature's Limbo by Kim Knoppers

Podcast: Re-looking at our Natural Environment with Douglas Mandry

Monuments / Altesch #08, 2018

Nature's Limbo

Mario Klingemann, The Butcher’s Son, 2017, Giclee printon paper, 80x57cm

Helena Sarin, AI Candy Store, 2018, Fine art print on paper, 20x20cm

David Young, (b38, 4016,16) from Learning Nature series, 2018, Fine art print on paper, 30x30 cm

Harold Cohen, Arnolfini Series, 1983, Plotter drawing, 60x80cm

Obvious, Portrait of Edmond de Belamy, 2018, Inkjet print on canvas, 70x70cm

Roope Rainisto, Emergent Culture from Excessize series, 2022

From Innovation to Art: The History of AI Images

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

Saul Leiter - An Unfinished World

Foam presents a podcast series around the exhibition Foam Talent 2020. Listen to Foam Talks: Talent Edition to dive deeper into the portfolios of this year's Foam Talents.

Concept: Mirjam Kooiman and Amelie Schüle

Mastering & Mixing: Andersen Audio Productions

The Foam Talent programme and the annual Talent issue of Foam Magazine are supported by The Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, the VandenEnde Foundation and the Niemeijer Fund.

Foam Talent is made possible by Kleurgamma Fine-Art Photolab, Starframe, Oschatz Visuelle Medien and the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia.

Foam Magazine is sponsored by Igepa Netherlands BV, supplier of excellent paper.

In 2021 Foam receives additional support from the Mondriaan Fund and Kickstart Cultuurfonds.

The tenth episode of Foam Talks welcomes the Swiss artist Douglas Mandry, whose work is currently part of the Foam Talents 2020 exhibition. His work is characterized by his experimental use of historic photographic techniques and self-invented processes, through which he reconfigures depictions of our natural environment.

Foam produced this episode as part of a special series of podcasts on the occasion of Foam Talent 2020. Each episode focusses on one artist aiming to evoke a conversation around their approach, offer an insight into the discourses surrounding a specific project, contextualizing it within the photography field while not forgetting the personal stories and dreams behind it. The conversations are moderated by Mirjam Kooiman, curator of the Foam Talent 2020 exhibition.

Monuments with Douglas Mandry

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

Ara Güler - A Play of Light and Shadow

Together, Foam and Paris Photo present a brand-new season of the podcast series Foam Talks: Talent Edition. This series presents eight talented image-makers from both the fair's Curiosa Sector and Foam Talent 2021. Each of the episodes welcomes two photographers, one of each organisations' talent programme. Brought together by a common theme and approach, the photographers speak about their projects and motivations, as well as the challenges they encounter.

from the series Rasmi

Foam Talks x Paris Photo - Sarker Protick & AnaMary Bilbao

Sunny Day Flooding, Hollywood, Florida, 2019

Foam Talks x Paris Photo - Igor Tereshkov & Anastasia Samoylova

Smoke Me, 2019

From the series The Mind is a Voice, the Voice is Blind

Paris Photo x Foam Talks: Talent Edition

Galata Docks, Istanbul, 1962

Tophane, Istanbul, 1958

The Golden Horn, Istanbul

Old Galata Bridge, Istanbul, 1957

Ara Güler's photographs, taken during the 1950s, have gained new significance since the 1990s, when Istanbul emerged as a global city. They have become objects of nostalgia and consumption, playing an essential role in shaping the city's collective memory.

Ara Güler

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




more at Foam

Paul Kooiker - FASHION

The Villain, 2018 

With the seemingly simple but in essence culturally complex nature of his body of work , Edmonds questions issues of identity  and power from an African-American perspective. His work  stems from a deep understanding of the medium of photography and taps into its modernist history

Young man holding up Kuba cloth, 2019

Bull Mask from the Ivory Coast, 2019

Tete d Homme, 2018

John Edmonds is the fifteenth winner of the Foam Paul Huf Award

artworks

Guillaume Simoneau

Untitled, 2013

An encounter with Davison’s imagery is like a compressed and flattened experience of advertising, photojournalism, and experimental photography in one. 

experimental

Next Level

Abetí ajá (Dog Eared Cap)

Mending, on location ELA, Canada, 2015

Location lab two, on location ELA, Canada, 2015

Mobile, ELA field station, Canada, 2014

Location lab one, on location ELA, Canada, 2015

Lightning Storm Flare

Mayflies by D. McLeod, on location ELA, Canada

Lake Vyrnwy, Wales D1, 2016 (dyptich)

Lake Vyrnwy, Wales D1, 2016 (dyptich)

Paper Girl 2

Talent Talks 2022 - Pavo Marinović & Barbara Gregov

Polaroid Photography in Multiple Perspectives

Announcement Winner Foam Paul Huf Award 2024

Nature's Limbo

How can our past help guide us into the future?

From Innovation to Art: The History of AI images

Saul Leiter - An Unfinished World

Monuments with Douglas Mandry

Ara Güler - A Play of Light and Shadow

Paris Photo x Foam Talks: Talent Edition

Paul Kooiker - FASHION

John Edmonds is the fifteenth winner of the Foam Paul Huf Award