UNSEEN AMSTERDAM 2019: A THRIVING EIGHTH EDITION. The 2019 edition of Unseen Amsterdam attracted a truly global audience and strong sales.
L-R (Signage 005 Unseen Amsterdam 2019 © Maarten Nauw. The Fair, Unseen Amsterdam 2019 © Maarten Nauw)
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The 2019 edition of Unseen Amsterdam closed on Sunday 22 September 2019, amid reports of strong sales to private collectors and institutions. Unseen Amsterdam attracted more than 25,000 visitors for its eighth edition. Unseen presented exhibitions Woven Matters, Vortex of Infinity, A Global Sense of Place and Lumix Meets Beyond 2020 By Japanese Photographers #7 to great acclaim.
Unseen Amsterdam concludes another successful year as the eighth edition closed on Sunday 22 September 2019, showcasing 53 leading galleries from all over the world, 19 of which exhibited at Unseen Amsterdam for the first time. Over the course of three days, the city of Amsterdam was transformed into the capital of contemporary photography, welcoming over 25,000 visitors. The ambitious programme featured new international photographic talent, innovative city-wide exhibitions, sales to both private collectors and international institutions and a stimulating speakers series. The emerging talent this year included over 60 female artists out of the 140 exhibiting artists, as well as a strong focus on current sociopolitical issues such as globalisation, climate change and mental health. This year’s edition saw 85 independent publishers at the Book Market, an engaging and insightful Living Room speakers programme held in collaboration with V&A and LagosPhoto, as well as thought-provoking Exhibitions (Vortex of Infinity - Tabita Rezaire, Woven Matters, Lumix Meets Beyond 2020 By Japanese Photographers #7 and A Global Sense of Place - Felicity Hammond), the launch of Issue 7 of the Unseen Magazine, as well as other numerous interactive initiatives. Marina Paulenka, Unseen’s new Artistic Director: This year's edition of Unseen Amsterdam has been a great success and I have felt an overwhelming sense of love and positive energy from all of our visitors! Every element of the programme has thrived over the past three days from the Fair, to the Book Market, to our speakers programme Living Room,
as well as our Exhibitions and further On-Site Projects. This year was a particularly international edition for Unseen Amsterdam, with contributing galleries and emerging artists joining us from more than 20 countries from as far as India, Iran, Japan, the USA and Argentina. Being new to the Unseen team this year, I am excited to continue this inspiring and important adventure, ensuring Unseen continues as a strong platform and an artist-led movement that will drive positive change in the photography world and beyond. FAIR Now in its eighth year, the Fair element of Unseen Amsterdam captured the ever-increasing appetite for photography with 53 galleries from around the world presenting work by over 140 artists; 95 of which were premiering work for the first time. With strong sales this year, participating galleries celebrated both the interest from local and international private, corporate and institutional collectors, as well as new buyers, enthused by the variety of artworks available and the innovative accessible formats in which they were displayed. Kathleen Fox-Davies and Anna Kirrage from Black Box Projects (London) said: “This is our first year exhibiting at Unseen Amsterdam and it has been a great experience. Sales have exceeded our expectations and we found both visitors and collectors alike particularly engaging and interactive.” Jorg Grimm, owner of GRIMM (Amsterdam/New York) said: “It has been an incredible Fair in terms of atmosphere and audience! We have sold twelve sets of ten artworks by Dana Lixenberg and five large new works by Saskia Noor van Imhoff, both to corporate and private collections. We look forward to next year!” Photographer Bharat Sikka, who exhibited with Nature Morte Gallery (New Delhi) at the Fair said: “My experience at Unseen Amsterdam has been absolutely fantastic, the Unseen team have been so supportive and encouraging. I actually waited six months just so I could premiere The Sapper series here at the Fair, for this moment and their audience.” Collector Artur Walther of The Walther Collection said: “Unseen Amsterdam has a tremendous energy and enthusiasm. It’s a great opportunity for exchange, dialogue and experiencing the work of younger emerging artists.” Art world professional, Marine Tanguy of MTArt said: “I left Unseen Amsterdam so inspired. I was also challenged on my core opinions which is always a great sign!” Visitor Colin Davies (London) said: “I have been continually impressed by the diversity and breadth of the emerging talent at Unseen Amsterdam. The work is highly curated but still innovative and fresh - much more provocative than what I’ve seen in the UK and elsewhere in Europe.” TALENT DEVELOPMENT ING Unseen Talent Award 2019 Mentored by internationally acclaimed artist Adam Broomberg (GB), who, together with Oliver Chanarin (1971, GB), form the internationally renowned artist duo Broomberg & Chanarin, the finalists created new work for the ING Collection over the course of several months, related to this year’s theme: Nature of Change. Karolina Wojtas (1996, PL) took away the Jury Prize with We can’t livewithout each other and will receive €10,000 to invest in a new project. Winner of the 2019 ING Unseen Talent Award, Karolina Wojtas stated: “I’m so excited and on the other hand also very terrified! It was a great pleasure to be here at Unseen Amsterdam and it has been wonderful.” Meijburg Art Commission KPMG Meijburg & Co and Unseen proudly presented five nominees for the fifth edition of the Meijburg Art Commission this year. The leading art prize examines the work of multimedia artists with a strong focus on photography, supporting photography talent by providing them the opportunity to develop
new work. Marleen Sleeuwits (1980, NL) was selected as the winner of the Meijburg Art Commission this year by an international jury. Unseen Dummy Award The Unseen Dummy Award is a collaboration between Unseen and Lecturis aimed at showcasing the work of exceptional artists and designers from around the world, and to give them a chance to realise and publish their photobook dummy. Moritz Jekat (1987, DE) won the Unseen Dummy Award 2019; his book, Non ya (None Of Your Business), will be published by Lecturis in spring 2020. Karin Krijgsman from publisher Fw:Books said: “We have taken part in Unseen’s Book Market programme every year since the event started. For us Unseen acts as a meeting point for both photo book collectors, as well as industry professionals. The new space this year has worked particularly well.” EXHIBITIONS The 2019 programme saw one of the most exciting line-ups of Exhibitions to date, exploring topics from migration and post-colonialism, to feminism and religion. Vortex of Infinity was one of the leading exhibitions at Unseen Amsterdam 2019, presented by new media artist Tabita Rezaire and curated by Unseen’s new Artistic Director Marina Paulenka. The exhibition presented three video installations by Rezaire: Deep Down Tidal, revealing water’s power as an interface for information and communication, Satellite Devotion, a call to align with the rhythms of the Moon, and Ultra Wet - Recapitulation, questioning the western impulse to reduce the world to binaries: man-woman, masculine-feminine, good-bad, light-dark, strong-weak, life-death. Additionally, Woven Matters, an exhibition initiated by Unseen Foundation, presented a selection of contemporary artists combining textiles and photography within their practices. Lumix Meets Beyond 2020 by Japanese Photographers #7 featured the work of six emerging Japanese artists, exploring the theme ‘Over to another parallel world’. Finally, Felicity Hammond’s A Global Sense of Place, investigated the material collision between quasi-photographic images and local urban realities Visitors also encountered a diverse mix of On-site Projects, a new programme element which aims to empower emerging artists, allowing them to develop their practice, explore unfamiliar topics and apply creativity in new and experimental ways. This year’s projects included, among others, The Graduates, a new initiative by Unseen Foundation marking the transition from student to artist of nine outstanding students from three renowned Dutch art academies: Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht, Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten in Den Haag, and Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. Graduate Amber Aarts stated about her experience: “Unseen Amsterdam has felt like the kickstart of my post-academic career. To experience my work in this professional context has been unbelievable and I am excited for what is to come.” Editor’s Notes Press For more information and imagery, please visit https://amsterdam.unseenplatform.com/event/press or contact: International Sutton Ella Roeg T: +44 (0) 20 7183 3577 ella@suttoncomms.com Dutch & Benelux Coebergh Communicatie & PR Arabella Coebergh T +31 (0)62 427 64 60 arabella@coebergh.nl
About Unseen Unseen is the leading international platform for contemporary photography. By focusing exclusively on everything that is new in the world of photography, Unseen reinforces the careers of pioneering artists. Unseen offers a platform to both emerging and established talents and shares the stories of the world's most interesting artists - the 'change-makers' of tomorrow. Throughout the year, through its magazine, through dynamic events and online, Unseen draws attention to new and experimental approaches to photography and brings the international photography community together. About Unseen Foundation Unseen Foundation is an independent not-for-profit organisation that aims to increase the impact of artists working with photography on society. Unseen Foundation launches initiatives to promote the work of emerging artists, with a specific focus on young talent. Through various events, Unseen Foundation creates environments where those with personal and professional interests in contemporary photography can exchange ideas - pushing the medium of photography forward and bringing artists into contact with new audiences every step of the way.