PHOTO:Foam Talent 2019

Carment Winant, Collage from the series “Pictures of Woman Working”, 2016 © The artistFoam Talent is an internationally renowned programme for young artists under the age of 35, which has been organised by the Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam since 2007. Through its annual talent call, Foam invites artists who work with the medium of photography to submit their portfolios. For 2019, 20 artists were selected from around 1,800 submissions. Their works are subsequently being published in the talent edition of Foam Magazine, a quarterly publication, and shown in an exhibition in international institutions.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Foam Archive

The Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation is opening the exhibition “Foam Talent 2019” in The Cube, Eschborn/Frankfurt. On show are works by 20 artists from 13 nations who have been selected for the Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam’s annual programme to promote young talents. As part of its engagement of supporting contemporary photography, the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation has been partner of the programme since 2017. Foam says it has chosen each photographer because they “cross the borders of the photographic medium with striking ease”. It adds that visitors can expect “object installations in which the experience of the work is just as important as the aesthetic value… classic two-dimensional photographs (and) archival materials”. Subjects covered include personal stories, such as questions around identity and representation, as well as ones with social-political themes, for example, challenging power structures such as dictatorships. A series of long-term projects are also included, often which involve years of investment and extensive travelling around the world. As the London iteration approaches in May, we will once again be speaking with a handful of the photographers included to find out more. In addition to current trends, the selected artists of this year concentrate on social, political and ecological concerns. By taking a fresh approach to exploring the limits of the medium, they are not restricted to creating traditional prints to be displayed on a museum wall; rather, the works include a number of expansive object installations. In the individual projects’ creation processes, extensive research – alongside archive material, videos and images – plays an important role. The submissions thereby create a lively map of the ever-changing medium of photography.

Artists list “Foam Talent 2019”: Florian Amoser, He Bo, Valentine Bo, Chen Zhe, Maisie Cousins, Sylvain Couzinet-Jacques, Jalan & Jibril Durimel, Sophie Gabrielle, Eric Gyamfi, Thomas Hauser, Gregory Eddi Jones, Stelios Kallinikou, Takashi Kawashima, Dima Komarov, Lilly Lulay, Jaya Pelupessy, Daniel Shea, Senta Simond, Salvatore Vitale and Carmen Winant.

Info: Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, The Cube, Mergenthalerallee 61, Eschborn, Duration: 6/9-1/11/19, Days & Hours: Guided tours Please book in advance here, www.deutscheboersephotographyfoundation.org

Maisie Cousins, Ants from the series “grass, peonie, bum”, 2017© The artist. Courtesy of Maise Cousins and TJ Boulting
Maisie Cousins, Ants from the series “grass, peonie, bum”, 2017, © The artist. Courtesy of Maise Cousins and TJ Boulting

 

 

Stelios Kallinikou, Water composition 5 from the series “Studies in Geology”, 2017, © The artist
Stelios Kallinikou, Water composition 5 from the series “Studies in Geology”, 2017, © The artist

 

 

Senta Simond, Aziade from the series “Rayon Vert”, 2017, © The artist
Senta Simond, Aziade from the series “Rayon Vert”, 2017, © The artist

 

 

Durimel, Delcia from the series “Frères d’une île pas très proche”, 2018, © The artist
Durimel, Delcia from the series “Frères d’une île pas très proche”, 2018, © The artist

 

 

Valentine Bo, The element from the series “Your next step would be to do the Transmission”, 2018 © The artist
Valentine Bo, The element from the series “Your next step would be to do the Transmission”, 2018, © The artist

 

 

Gregory Eddi Jones, From the series “Flowers for Donald”, 2017, Courtesy of the artist
Gregory Eddi Jones, From the series “Flowers for Donald”, 2017, © The artist

 

 

Salvatore Vitale, Untitled from the series “How to Secure a Country, 2015-18, © The artist
Salvatore Vitale, Untitled from the series “How to Secure a Country, 2015-18, © The artist