Joseph Kennel, I Stood at the Foot of a Mountain
485 million years ago sediments from unnamed volcanic eruptions slowly settled on the hillsides of unnamed mountains. Compressed over millions of years, these sediments combined, forming blueish-gray stones, stones that now constitute slate, a defining feature of the landscape and culture of North Wales. The inactive Dinorwic slate quarry and the peak of Yr Wyddfa, the highest peak in the UK lies only a few kilometers from each other. Both exist today as important sites of tourist attraction, yet they carry distinctive visual archives and human marks that uniquely historicize each space in the present. ‘I Stood at the Foot of a Mountain’ looks at the material histories of slate as a connection point to consider the temporal and spatial realities that exist within both locations. Reconstitutions through time of the slate into culturally mediated forms, operational devices, and a post industrial landscape marks and breaks the stones’ slow lifecycle. Noticing the collision of temporalities held within the materiality of this space, allows us to step out of one temporality into another, to reflect on the projected image of one on another. Through a remediation of space, visually and sonically, the geological becomes an inflection point to consider how an anthropocentric vision of the past is re-inscribed on the present.
Opening and Open Studio Joseph Kennel
Date: 01 August 2024
Schedule:
- 18:00: Welcoming
- 18:30 - 21.00: Open Studio and Screening
Location: FUTURES Hub, Isaac Titsinghkade 6, 1018 LL Amsterdam
Benjamin Morrison, When it Rains
When it Rains is a series of proofs that life has continuity and history. A patchwork diary of disparate narratives woven together. Sketches, ideas and words once said. In a moment of observation, between presence and absence, clarity and failure, this work is a reminder of my own reality.
Opening and Open Studio Benjamin Morrison
Date: 18 July 2024
Schedule:
- 18:00: Welcoming
- 18:30 - 21.00: Open Studio and Screening
Location: FUTURES Hub, Isaac Titsinghkade 6, 1018 LL Amsterdam
More information will follow!
Join us on May 30, 2024, in Amsterdam for a special event hosted at the Futures Hub. With the collaboration of FUTURES member FOTODOK, the event will give you an insider's view into the photobook-making process with artist-in-residence Yana Kononova and book designer João Linneu. Over an intensive period of collaboration and creative exchange – beginning on May 20th – Linneu, Kononova, and FOTODOK’s curator Daria Tuminas will work together on editing and designing Kononova’s first photobook, to be co-published by FOTODOK and XYZ Books.
The publication aims to bring together works from Kononova’s ongoing "Radiations of War" project, which delves into the profound repercussions of warfare in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Plus, enjoy homemade Ukrainian snacks by Amsterdam-based artist Alex Blanco, who will serve a selection of homemade Ukrainian snacks, drawing on her recent photobook "Meat, Fish & Aubergine Caviar." The project, which Blanco will introduce, is an intimate story reflecting on both Ukrainian and Odesan culture through the prism of food and family.
Finally, visitors are invited to discover a selection of photobooks by Ukrainian makers, first brought together for FOTODOK’S "Whispers and Shouts: Voices of Ukrainian Women Photographers" exhibition in 2023.
Book-in-residency
Address: Futures Hub, Isaac Titsinghkade 6, Amsterdam
Timeline:
18:30 - 19:00: Walk-in and welcome
19:00 - 19:45: Alex Blanco book presentation and related snacks
19:45 - 21:00: Conversation between Yana Kononova and João Linneu
This artist residency and event form part of the European programme, Intergalactica: Books for the Culture Without Borders. The programme connects institutions and artists across Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands and Italy to create innovative photobooks with a focus on common issues across the European Union.
About the Participants:
Alex Blanco, born in Ukraine currently lives in the Netherlands. She holds a Master’s degree in Film & Photographic Studies from Leiden University and completed a photography semester at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. Blanco’s passion lies in creating emotionally charged, cinematic images that resonate with her personal memories. Her Meat, Fish & Aubergine Caviar project was awarded the 2023 Nobuyoshi Araki MA-g Awards for Photography, in the Original Photography Series category.
João Linneu is a Brazilian-born designer based in Reykjavík, Iceland. With over 20 years experience in communication, Linneu has garnered international acclaim for his innovative approach to design. He has held roles of Art Director, Head of Art and Creative Director in São Paulo and London, whilst his work has been honoured by prestigious design awards including D&AD,Cannes Lions, One Show and Clio. A co-founder of Void, an Athens-based independent publishing house focused on photography, Linneu’s portfolio includes over 200 publications. Today, Linneu designs books for publishing houses worldwide through his award-winning studio Kakkalakki, co-founded with his wife Fernanda Fajardo.
Yana Kononova was born on Pirallahi island in the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan. During the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, her family moved to Ukraine, where she first immersed herself in photography. Graduating from the Photoschool of Viktor Marushchenko, she further honed her skills through a photography course organised by the Image Threads Collective (USA). With a background in social science, Kononova holds a PhD in Sociology. Her artistic talent has been recognised by awards such as the 2019 Bird in Flight Prize in Emerging Photography and the 2022 Hariban Award, whilst her works have featured in both exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad. She was included in FOTODOK’s 2023 exhibition Whispers and Shouts: Voices of Ukrainian Women Photographers, where her work contributed to a collective narrative on the effects of war and displacement.
We are pleased to invite you to the exhibition Metamorphosis by visual artist Claudia Fuggetti which will take place on 16 May at 17:00 at the Futures Hub in Amsterdam.
Metamorphosis reflects the current historical period: a phase of transition and change that has an impact not only on humanity but also on the natural world. Inspired by the ecological philosopher David Abram, this project encourages viewers to re-imagine nature as a living entity. The colour interventions within the photographs symbolise the life that persists in harsh environmental conditions.
The exhibition aims to promote a communal experience of how we perceive nature and climate change through an immersive exhibition and contemplative space. The artist will also present new works created during the FUTURES X MPB residency.
During the exhibition, visitors will be invited to participate in a collective performance by contributing phrases or words related to the concept of nature in a common book.
Opening | Metamorphosis by Claudia Fuggetti
Date: 16 May, 2024
Time: 17:00 - 20:30
Location: Isaac Titsinghkade 6B, Amsterdam
Free entrance!
Don't miss out, we look forward to seeing you there!
About Claudia Fuggetti:
Born in Taranto in 1993, after graduating in Cultural Heritage, Claudia Fuggetti attended the Master's degree in Photography and Visual Design at NABA, Milan. Subsequently, she graduated with honors in Digital Cultures at Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera. Her works have been exhibited at Les Rencontres de la Photographie Arles (FR), Fotofestival Lenzburg (CH), Copenhagen Photo Festival (DK), Rotterdam Photo Festival (NL), PhMuseum Days (IT), Geste Paris (FR), Giovane Fotografia Italiana (IT) and MIA Fair (IT). She is also one of the 150 emerging talents in Europe for Fresh Eyes by GUP Magazine and British Journal of Photography's Edition 365 winner.
It is the time of the year for FUTURES Conversations! These are a series of professional meetings between FUTURES selected artists and professionals in the photography field. Curators, artists, editors, gallerists, publishers, and writers will be there to discuss what FUTURES artists need to know from them: advice for a project, research suggestions, business orientation, writing skills, grants application advice, etc. The conversations take place every year online and offline during the annual event.
Every year, FUTURES members nominate a group of artists to join the platform. Coming from different parts of Europe and with a diverse background, these talents will be part of a long-term programme with many opportunities to develop their projects and career.
By bringing together a wealth of resources and curatorial expertise, each talent selected by the members gains access to an unprecedented network of professionals, markets and audiences. Being selected within Futures is a proof of quality of the artists and increases their commercial opportunities.
FUTURES is delighted to announce the forthcoming event with Karolina Wojtas. Join us on February 23 at the FUTURES Hub.
About Karolina Wojtas:
Karolina Wojtas ( 1996, PL) draws from the imagination of children and transforms this material into walk-in installations. She graduated from Lodz Film School in Poland and Institute of Creative Photography in the Czech Republic. In the summer of 2019, she opened her own museum in home village in Poland.
Wojtas has exhibited her works in many solo and group exhibitions in Poland and inter- nationally (Foam in Amsterdam (2021), Noorderlicht International Photo Festival (2020), Gallery Naga in Warsaw (2020), Bratislava Month of Photography (2019). Among awards and acknowledgements for her work are the nomination for EMoP Arendt Award 2023, reGener- ation 4: The Challenges of Photography and its Museum for Tomorrow in Musée de l’Elysée, a special mention at Plat(f)orm 2020 in Fotomuseum Winterthur, winning C/O Berlin Award (2022), the ING Unseen Talent Award (2019), Amsterdam, and the Tiff Open (2018) at Tiff Festival Wrocław. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, Internazionale, The British Journal of Photography, Lampoon Magazine, L’uomo Vogue, Superpaper, Tampon – Ordinary Magazine, Causette, and Das Magazin Switzerland.
Karolina Wojtas Open Studio
Date: 23 February 2024
Time: 05:00 PM - 09:00 PM, Q&A starting at 6:00 PM
Location: Isaac Titsinghkade 6B, Amsterdam
At the Futures Hub, Alexey Shlyk will present his ongoing research, 'Space Topologies,' alongside the premiere of his latest installation, "GOO" (2023-2024).
In the aftermath of the rigged elections in Belarus in 2020 and the ongoing war in Ukraine, Alexey found himself consumed by the news, particularly through the lens of pro-governmental media in Belarus and Russia. The ceaseless stream of hatred, disinformation, and falsehoods infiltrated his personal space, transforming his daily routine into a habit of relentless doomscrolling. Overwhelmed by the stark simplicity and brutality of propaganda methods, Alexey discovered himself immersed in a viscous space of lies, political slogans, and manipulated visuals.
GOO (2023-2024) stands as Alexey's visceral response to the world of propaganda and its profound impact on private life.
Opening: 02 February, 2024
Time: 17.00 - 21.00
Location: Isaac Titsinghkade 6B, 1018 CA, Amsterdam
Alexey Shlyk is a visual artist based in Antwerp, Belgium. He graduated with an MA in Mathematics in 2008 from Belarus State University, an MA in Photography in 2018 from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp, and an MA in Research in Art and Design in 2019 from Sint Lucas School of Arts, Antwerp, Belgium.
In his creative work, Shlyk explores personal and political subjects, memory, technology, and ingenuity. Through large-scale photographic installations, he investigates the relationship between image and space, employing photography, video, and sound.
In 2017, Shlyk was the winner of ArtContest in Belgium, received the LensCulture Emerging Talents Award, was a laureate of Carte Blanche Paris Photo, and was shortlisted for Prix Levallois. In 2018, he won the Prijs Roger De Conynck in Belgium and a Public Prize at the ING Unseen Talent Award. In 2020, together with Ben Van den Berghe, he received COVID-19 work grant from FOMU Antwerp and SOFAM grant in 2022.
He has had solo exhibitions in Belgium, Norway, China, Belarus, and Russia, and has participated in numerous group shows and photo festivals in Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, Greece, Spain, Germany, France, Cambodia, among others. His work has been published in the British Journal of Photography, GEO Germany, De Standaard, Corriere della Sera, Néon France, Fisheye, and Artpress.
FUTURES MEET UP: REFLECTIONS ON PHOTOGRAPHY & ENERGY
FUTURES and FOMU invite you to an exclusive, two-day program of lectures, panel discussions, and other activities related to photography. During the meet-up, you will meet FUTURES talents, international curators (including Luce Lebart, Damarice Amao, and Amanda Maddox), and other artists. It is the ideal chance to exchange ideas and network.
During these days, FUTURES Annual Publication 2023 "Trigger#5: Energy," will be launched. It is published by FOMU and Fw:Books and edited and curated by FUTURES members FOMU, Fotodok, PhotoIreland, and Capa Center.
13th November 2023 – FUTURES MEET-UP
9.30 am: Welcome & registration
10.00 am: Guided visit to the FOMU exhibitions (James Barnor, a new retrospective developed in close collaboration with the photographer; Grace Ndiritu reimagines the FOMU collection; and Her Voice, a thematic exhibition on how the work of Chantal Akerman resonates today)
1.30 pm – 3.00 pm: ON MY MIND, 5 artists and curators speak on their critical reflections, passions, doubts or epiphanies during their process of art creation and curation.
Speakers:
Rein Deslé & Anne Ruygt
Marina Paulenka
Brahim Tall
Hien Hoang
Marina Caneve
3.00 pm – 3.30 pm: KEYNOTE by Luce Lebart
3.00 pm - 4.00 pm: Panel talk on Radically rethinking institutional (museum) spaces: How can we, as curators, directors and artists, use our radical vulnerability and intuition as a motor for change in the rigid environments that are (museum) institutions? How does one maneuver themselves within these institutions while pushback for new ideas is a possibility?
Speakers:
Damarice Amao
Anna-Kaisa Rastenberger
Felipe Romero Béltran
4.00 pm – 6.00 pm: Drinks at FOMU café
Evening Film screening Chantal Akerman (optional)
14th November 2023 – FUTURES MEET-UP
9.30 am: Welcome & registration
10.00 am - noon: Portfolio conversations (group sessions)
1.30 pm – 3.00 pm: ON MY MIND, 5 artists and curators speak on their critical reflections, passions, doubts or epiphanies during their process of art creation and curation.
Speakers:
Elephy
Marina Gaddoneix
Felipe Romero Béltran
Amanda Maddox
Doris Gassert
3.00 pm – 4.00 pm: Launch of the FUTURES Annual Publication. Trigger#5: Energy, is conceptualized as the FUTURES Annual Publication 2023, published by FOMU and Fw:Books and edited and curated by FUTURES members FOMU, Fotodok, PhotoIreland and Capa Center.
Speakers:
Mariama Attah
Sheng Wen Lo
Tanja Engelberts
4.00 pm – 6.00 pm: Drinks at FOMU café (optional)
6.00 pm: Departure