On Wednesday the 7th of July, we organize the third edition of the FOTODOK TAKE OFF: an online graduation event in which graduates from 8 Dutch photography programs will have the opportunity to pitch their graduation work to (inter)national photography professionals and others who are interested to get to know these talents.
This edition 50 graduates will participate, from Gerrit Rietveld Academie Amsterdam, Royal Academy of Art The Hague, AKV | St.Joost Breda, HKU University of the Arts Utrecht, Willem de Kooning Academy Rotterdam, Fotoacademie, Nederlandse Academie voor Beeldcreatie and the Kooning Willem 1 Academy in Den Bosch.
Every graduate is given 5 minutes to pitch their graduation work. We have divided the event in three chapters, a morning, afternoon and evening program:
Morning 9.45 – 12.15: SENSE OF SELF
Afternoon 14.00 – 16.15: HUMAN HABITAT
Evening 19.00 – 20.35: POWER PLAY
Morning programme
SENSE OF SELF
How can we learn to understand and appreciate our bodies and psyche when they are constantly subject to change? The human body endures threat, trauma and danger and therefore proves to be vulnerable yet resilient each time. The recent increase in applications for mental health care in the Netherlands could signify both a growing awareness of the importance of mental health as well as the constraints of the crisis in mental health care. Consciousness of both our personal mental as well as physical boundaries are additionally expressed within the #MeToo movement. Sense of Self visualizes internal processes of the human brain and psyche, such as memory, working through therapy and control and chaos. The physical body is addressed alongside topics such as (dis)ability, bodily confidence and activism.
09:45: Introduction moderator Alina Lupu
10:00: Ella Gijselhart
10:05: Alexa Vachon
10:10: Lena Holzer
10:20: Annick van Santen
10:30: John Tromp
10:40: Sam Warnaar
10:45: Gyselle Blokland
10:50: Sam ten Thij
10:55: Nanouk Prins
11:00: To Huidekoper
11:05: Katharina Siegel
11:10: Chris Becher
11:30: Rachel Goeman
11:40: Joost van der Velden
11:45-12:15: Q&A
Afternoon programme – Human Habitat
Our places of residence and living spaces have become increasingly charged ever since global lockdowns have been proclaimed last year. Ties and relationships with the people we live with have been challenged or strengthened in isolation. The pandemic could therefore be yet another factor that influences our idea of our personal habitat. The projects in the category Human & Habitat present lens-based translations of the different ways in which our sense of habitat can be shaped, altered or damaged. Whereas remaining in the same surroundings for a longer period of time might place the understanding of habitat under a magnifying glass, migration and dislocation could be factors that both disturb and enhance the feeling of home. A sense of belonging, however, is not merely shaped by location. Cultural background, family history and generational trauma are inseparable from the process of growing up and finding one’s place in the world
14:00: Introduction moderator Alina Lupu
14:20: Marta Iwanek
14:25: Thana Faroq
14:30: Anders Birger
14:35: Yentl Bakker
14:40: Rick van der Klooster
14:45: Mirre Korevaar-Wijnja
14:50: Daniël Lokerse
14:55: Kevita Junior
15:00: Resa Groenewold
15:05: Irene C. Jahn
15:10: Bente Tas
15:15: Sakaya Langenberg
15:20: Milah van Zuilen
15:25: Steffi Reimers
15:30: Pascalle Blokker
15:35: Esmée Bruins
15:40: Demi Thönissen
15:45-16:15: Q&A
Evening programme – Power Play
The diminishing of borders between reality and made-up truths due to conspiracy theories, deepfakes and propaganda results in an urgent need for the exposure of invisible power structures. A recent occurrence in the Dutch House of Representatives could be seen as a symptom of these uncertain times. Members spoke to what turned out to be a deepfake of Leonid Volkov, the head of staff of Russian opposition leader Aleksej Navalny. Quick developments in technology ask for a quick response from governments. In the Netherlands, the University of Amsterdam will work in collaboration with the Netherlands Forensic Institute to further research the use of deepfakes in criminal practices. The suspicion about the vote count of the 2020 presidential elections in the United States, fueled by fake news circulating on social media, laid this issue bare once again. Whereas finding objectivity in the current post-truth era can be of great difficulty, hidden parts of history influence the power structures in place. The involvement of Dutch people as oppressors within practices of slavery, for example, is a history that is inseparable from our present-day society. However, our position towards it is still in progress, as the recent discussion on making an official apology for the Dutch colonial past indicates. Power Play highlights artists that uncover and challenge the realities of historical conflicts, enduring imperialist and patriarchal structures and political and economic power relations.
19:00: Introduction moderator Alina Lupu
19:15: Kata Geibl
19:20: Sonia Verdiesen
19:25: Batuhan Keskiner
19:30: Jakob Ganslmeier
19:35: Jana Romanova
19:40: Kester den Hartogh
19:45: Emile Gostelie
19:55: Tasha Arlova
20:00: Frank Smolenaers
20:05-20:35: Q&A
