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Exhibition — Photography

Youth of the Island Field – Tamara Eckhardt

Date:
2 September up to 8 October 2022
Location:


Amsterdam
Open:
Admission
With ticket

Exhibition Youth of the Island Field by award–winning documentary photographer Tamara Eckhardt.

VZL / Contemporary Art, in collaboration with Frits Bergsma, opens the new gallery season with the exhibition ‘Youth of the Island Field’: a series of portraits by Tamara Eckhardt.

The gallery presented, together with Frits Bergsma, in November 2021 the exhibition High Noon by 12 young Berlin photographers who just finished their study in 2021 at the renowned Ostkreuzschule für Fotografie in Berlin, Germany. Tamara Eckhardt (born in 1995) was one of the young photographers.

Her photographic works mainly deal with marginalized social groups and minorities – with a particular focus on documenting adolescence. Her analog photography strives to shed a kind light on her protagonists whom she follows up on for months at a time for each project. Eckhardts expressive portraits give the viewer an intimate insight into the lives of youth in Germany and Ireland. With her work Eckhardt has been awarded and shortlisted for numerous awards. “Youth of the Island Field” has won Best Documentary Series at the prestigious  Kolga Tbilisi Photo Festival in Georgia and the Gute Aussichten award in Germany. The work is shown in different parts of the world.

We are very proud to present the series Youth of the island Field in the gallery.

St Mary’s Park on King’s Island in Limerick was built in the 1930’s as the city’s first social housing estate. It was established to accommodate families who lived in overcrowded, poor quality housing. Because of its geographic location, bordered by the River Shannon, the estate is almost isolated from the surrounding city – locals and insiders refer to the area as The Island Field. St Mary’s Park is the most socially deprived area in Ireland, it suffers from high levels of unemployment, addiction and social problems. Nevertheless it has a strong community spirit where everyone knows everyone, is fiercely loyal and defensive, and suspicious of outsiders. Tamara Eckhardt portrays the lives of the young people of St Mary’s Park, continuing her focus on the theme of childhood and growing up. The living conditions in the area are difficult; yet the young people develop coping skills, adapt and find ways to divert themselves. Eckhardt has revisited the estate over a two year period becoming more familiar with the community. She has spent so much time with the young people that they have come to suspend suspicion and trust in her and her camera.