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The

Artist

Nominated in
2025
By
FOMU
Lives and Works in
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Jaka Teršek (b. 1997, Slovenia) is a photographer and visual artist whose work explores themes of national identity, mythology, and the interplay between geography and human culture. He frequently combines photography with text, creating narratives that blur the boundaries between fact and fiction. He holds a BA in Photography from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design at the University of Ljubljana and an MFA from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, where he is currently engaged as an artistic researcher. His series OWL, FOX, HEDGEHOG, DEER was finalist in the Blurring the Lines competition organised by Paris College of Art in 2022 and was shortlisted for the PhMuseum Photography Grant in 2023. Jaka has exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions, including at FOMU Antwerp, Gallery Artget Belgrade, Plečnik House Gallery, Gallery DobraVaga Ljubljana, and UGM Maribor. He is also a founding member of the collectives Fotosfera and Študio.
Projects
2025

OWL, FOX, HEDGEHOG, DEER

"I am driving to the town where Melania Trump grew up. I read that there is a newly built statue of her. This must be her second sculpture because the first one was made of wood but someone burnt it down. After shooting the bronze icon, I decided to treat myself to the famous Melania cake in the town center. A single slice costs 4 euros and I did not eat it there. The next day I wanted to taste it but it was too late - my parents already ate it."
Jaka Teršek
was nominated by
FOMU
in
2025
Show all projects
Each year every member of the FUTURES European Photography Platform nominates a set of artists and projects to become part of the FUTURES network.

FOMU invites three external jurors to help select the artists. This year’s jury consisted of Laure Cottin Stefanelli (artist and .tiff 2019 participant), Bindi Vora (curator, Autograph in London) and Koi Persyn (curator and artistic director at Jester in Genk).

The jury made the selection based on the Fomu criteria:

1. Contemporary relevance
Everything we do is topical and relevant to modern society. We deliberately choose historical and contemporary subjects and projects that are interesting and relatable to a modern audience. We encourage reflection on societal issues and contribute to the prevailing social discourse.

2. Multivocality
We opt for subjects and projects that offer a multifaceted perspective on photographic imagery and the world. We also actively seek out and hold space for different views and perspectives and encourage the representation and involvement of creators from underrepresented communities and backgrounds.

3. Critical reflection on the medium and its evolution
Photography and reality have a multifaceted relationship. We are interested in the mechanisms of photography and deliberately work with photographers who critically engage with the medium or its history and are aware of artistic-conceptual positions and visual language.

4. Ethical position
Due to its complex relationship with reality, photography inevitably raises ethical questions. We are keenly aware of the context in which images emerge and exist. As a result, we always consider the intention and impact of images. We approach all images with the necessary caution and contextualise them within their historical context.

Fomu invited fellow Futures members to be part of the jury that would pick four artists from ten to join the Futures program. The jury consisted of Angel Luis Gonzales & Julia Gelezova of Photo Ireland and Daria Tuminas & Yusser al Obaidi of Fotodok.