On 2 and 3 September, Amsterdam galleries open their doors to the public with the first exhibition of the new season. During this festive weekend Amsterdam Art organises two thematic tours along a number of galleries.
Saturday 3 September
Start: 14:00 on Keizersgracht 241 (Amsterdam Art & GalleryViewer Hub)
End: 16:00 hrs at Lauriergracht 142 (Galerie Fontana)
TOUR 1: THIS IS FOR REAL (by foot)
What is real? What is imagination? In this tour we investigate how reality and imagination are intertwined in the work of a number of prominent Dutch and international photographers.
The famous Dutch photographer Ed van der Elsken (Annet Gelink Gallery) not only captured the reality he encountered on the street, but also imitated or created realities such as dioramas, wax figures, advertising dolls and posters. In the series Floridas by American photographer Anastasia Samoylova (Galerie Caroline O’Breen), we see life in contemporary Florida, and here too the work seems to exist on the thin line between observational documentary photography and composed photo collages. South African photographer Pieter Hugo (Stevenson) presents a new series of photographs of children born after 1994 in South Africa and Rwanda; a series that raises questions about history and growing up in a post-revolutionary era. Similarly, Lidwien van de Ven (andriesse ~ eyck) focuses on a number of recent and (almost) forgotten historical events and critically examines the boundary between reality and representation. The exhibition of work by the late artist Helena van der Kraan (Madé van Krimpen Gallery) is a tribute to her contribution to the genre of still-life photography. Finally, we will view the latest work of photographer Hellen van Meene (Galerie Fontana); a series of timeless portraits of young women with a dreamy and almost fairytale atmosphere.
In the last gallery, we will meet with the visitors of TOUR 2 and, while enjoying a drink, exchange our experiences about the question of what is real and what is imagined.
Practical information
Participation in the tour is free of charge. The tour is by foot and will be guided by Martina Halsema, Head of Programme & Partnerships Amsterdam Art.
Galleries we visit during the tour
- Stevenson – Solus Pieter Hugo
- Madé van Krimpen Gallery – Still (a) Life Helena van der Kraan
- andriesse ~ eyck – Echos and Traces Lidwien van de Ven
- Galerie Caroline O’Breen – Floridas Anastasia Samoylova
- Annet Gelink Gallery – Theatre of Reality Ed van der Elsken
- Galerie Fontana – Luminaria Vigil Flame Hellen van Meene
