PHOTO:Foam Talent 2017
Each year, Foam Magazine invites photographers between the ages of 18 and 35, from all across the world, to submit their portfolios for publication in the magazine’s fall Talent issue and the accompanying travelling exhibitions. For selected photographers, the “Talent stamp” functions as a springboard for the international photo industry, earning them global recognition and praise.
By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Foam Archive
The 11th Talent Call was the largest to date, with an impressive 1790 submissions from 75 different countries. Foam presents the portfolios of the 20 selected photographers of this year’s Talent Call are featured in the “Foam Talent” exhibition in Amsterdam, after which the exhibition will travel internationally. The 2017 submissions constitute a cross section of the various ways in which contemporary photographers approach the ever-evolving photographic medium and reveal a series of growing trends and tendencies. Many of the featured artists express socio-political concerns in their work. The selected photographers are: Sushant Chhabria, David De Beyter, Mark Dorf, Alinka Echeverría, Weronika Gęsicka, Wang Juyan, Thomas Kuijpers, Quentin Lacombe, Clément Lambelet, Namsa Leuba, Erik Madigan Heck, Alix Marie, Martin Errichiello & Filippo Menichetti, Wang Nan, Kai Oh, Viacheslav Poliakov, Ben Schonberger, Sadegh Souri, Harit Srikhao and Vasantha Yogananthan. Hari Srikhao comments on the divine status of the monarchy in his homeland Thailand, while Thomas Kuipers researches how online imagery feeds a collective fear of terrorism. Questions of identity and representation remain important themes for a new generation of photographers. This becomes apparent in the vulnerable and at times grotesque visualization of the body by Alix Marie. As well as in the radiant studio portraits of Namsa Leuba, who draws on her Guinese origin. This year a striking number of long term projects were included, that acquired greater depth of meaning over time. Vasantha Yogananthan travelled the length of India, tracing the footsteps of the Hindu deity Rama. The monumental Chinses landscapes by Wang Juyan are constructed from aerial photographs he made over the course of several years. Equally striking is that today’s emerging photographers embrace a wide range of media in their practice, and rarely confine themselves to the camera alone. Examples are the extensive car wreck installations of David de Beyter and the photo sculptures by Mark Dorf. Through a myriad of subjects and techniques, this new generation of inspiring photographers reflects on the nature, history and development of the photographic medium.
Info: Foam, Keizersgracht 609, Amsterdam, Duration: 1/9-12/11/17, Days & Hours: Mon-Wed & Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00, Thu-Fri 10:00-21:00, www.foam.org
