FUTURES and Fotogalleriet are pleased to announce the launch of the new publication Ties That Bind – Fictions, Orthodoxies and Interdependencies. Through new and translated fiction, poetry, essays and commissioned visual essays, Ties That Bind is an anthology that rethinks attachment and social power relations within family, state, friendship, identities and communities through passion, intoxication, exhaustion, desire, devotion, aid and intimacy in private and public spheres.
Using a decentralised editorial method based on distributed agency, young artists in the FUTURES photography network were invited to suggest untranslated poetry and prose in any language that responded to these overarching questions of codependency and reciprocity. A final selection was then edited by former director of Fotogalleriet Antonio Cataldo and artist and FUTURES nominee Nikhil Vettukattil, combined with six new photographic commissions by FUTURES artists.
“Reciprocity, this book intends to point out, also speaks about toxic relations and the need to rethink the world and its inherent unconscious (as well as undisguised) subordinations if we want to be part of determining structural change. With this volume, our aim is to show the full spectrum of feelings, including perhaps the most “unruly” ones, that arise from imaginative— and unconscious—processes that are not always directed by logic and rationality. Rather, such effects are guided by principles like association, distraction, and wandering—getting lost in the page, the images, the words. We wanted to restore power to involuntary processes guided by conversations that do not always need to lead to an elsewhere other than critical reflection. We looked at forms of exchange, translation, and sharing as ways of gathering that are often connected to discourse as well as physical encounter. We wanted to see if it was possible to maintain or resemble such processes on the page.”—Antonio Cataldo
“The play between fictive and real that is always at the heart of photography is also at work in the many texts shared here, often united by the personal modes of address, intimations of familiarity or proximity, voyeurism and embodiment always at the edge of interiority and the performance of intersubjective selves. [...] What other forms of interconnectedness and companionship are possible if queer or other marginalised and resistant communities are centred, as both the model and inspiration for wider social relations? What kinds of kinship are everywhere practised by chosen family, in diasporas and through artistic invention; In what ways do they undo the toxicities and properties of the relations that we otherwise inherit? What are the issues specific to other forms of coexistence that need more attention?”—Nikhil Vettukattil
Online Meeting
📅Date: Thursday, 21st November 2024
📌Time: 15:00–15:45 CET | Online Launch - FUTURES Annual Publication "Ties That Bind – Fictions, Orthodoxies and Interdependencies"
📍Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89535580242
We are excited to announce our second live lecture featuring photographer Carolyn Drake as part of the FUTURES: Learn with Magnum Photos program.
This program is developed by Magnum Learn exclusively for FUTURES artists.
Program Overview:
- 15:00 - 15:10 | Welcome
- 15:10 - 15:30 | Introduction by Menno Liauw, Director of FUTURES, and Sonia Jeunet, Global Education Director of Magnum Photos
- 15:30 - 16:30 | Lecture by Carolyn Drake
- 16:30 - 17:30 | Drinks
FUTURES and FOTODOK are proud to announce Fierce Togetherness – Kinship, Gender, and Photography, a three-day conference taking shape as a FUTURES Meet-Up at Utrecht running from 1-3 November 2024.
This event focuses on kinship, exploring possible forms of interconnectedness between actors in the local cultural scene.Many of our guest participants strive to transform oppressive social structures and seek ways to reclaim space for those who identify as women, trans, non-binary, or gender nonconforming. The program introduces various strategies for this essential reclamation, from protest and celebration to sharing food and challenging institutions.
A highlight of the program is the launch of the exhibition ENERGY: Redistributing Power and Taming Consumption on October 31, 2024. This traveling exhibition showcases works by Antonio Guerra, Dávid Biró, Hiền Hoàng, Marta Pinto Machado, Tanja Engelberts, Umberto Diecinove, Yana Kononova, and Yana Wernicke. It explores the ecological, socio-political, economic, and humanitarian energy crises that both human beings and non-human entities face today. At the same time, it reminds us that energy is seen—somewhat paradoxically—as the power we require to bring change to the world. It serves as a catalyst for vitality, creativity, and strength, bringing people together and making us socially active and able to help one another, as well as allowing us to react to ecological, social, and political emergencies.
Thursday, 31 October
From 17:00 at FOTODOK, Lange Nieuwstraat 7, Utrecht.
Launch of the exhibition ENERGY: Redistributing Power and Taming Consumption, featuring works by Antonio Guerra (ES), Dávid Biró (HU), Hiền Hoàng (VE/DE), Marta Pinto Machado (CV/PT), Tanja Engelberts (NL), Umberto Diecinove (IT), Yana Kononova (UA), and Yana Wernicke (DE).
Friday, 1 November
10:00 – 10:30
WALK IN & LIGHT BREAKFAST
This event is by invitation only.
10:30 – 13:00
WORKSHOP: ALPHABET SOUP SESSION
By Cooking Something Up collective members Yusser al Obaidi, Julia Wilhelm, and Carla Arcos Mathon.
Participants will explore kinship through freewriting, discussion, and communal cooking, transforming personal experiences into a shared vocabulary.
13:30 – 13:45
WELCOME SPEECH
Introduction to Day 1 public program by curators Delphine Bedel & Daria Tuminas.
13:45 – 15:45
OPENING KEYNOTE:
Practices of Dutch Black, migrant, and refugee feminists by researcher Nancy Jouwe.
Moderator: Vivian Cintra-van der Hoek.
14:45 – 15:00
BREAK
15:00 – 16:00
FOCUS TALK:
Artists Nadine Stijns and Batya Brown discuss their relationship with the Dutch Tax Administration Office.
Moderator: Nadine Ridder.
16:00 – 16:30
BREAK
16:30 – 17:30
CLOSING KEYNOTE:
The Daisies. Stories of Palestinian Women’s Underground Resistance by writer Umayya Abu-Hanna.
Moderator: Wan Ing Que.
17:30
DAY 1 PROGRAMME CONCLUDES AT CENTRAAL MUSEUM
18:30 – 19:30
EXHIBITION TOUR:
ENERGY: Redistributing Power and Taming Consumption, led by curator Emese Mucsi with artists Tanja Engelberts, Antonio Guerra, and Dávid Biró.
Location: FOTODOK.
19:30 – 21:00
DINNER
This event is by invitation only.
Location: FOTODOK.
Saturday, 2 November
09:30 – 10:00
WALK IN & LIGHT BREAKFAST
This event is by invitation only.
10:00 – 12:30
WORKSHOP: QUEER COLLECTIVE BODY SPELL
Hosted by melanie bonajo and Pawel Duduś.
Participants will explore the concept of a queer collective body and how individual voices contribute to shared unity and purpose. Bring comfortable clothes.
12:30 – 13:30
LUNCH
13:30 – 13:45
WELCOME SPEECH
Introduction to Day 2 public program by curators Delphine Bedel & Daria Tuminas.
14:00 – 15:00
KEYNOTE TALK:
EMBODIED CONSENT AND (s)KINSHIP by artist melanie bonajo.
Moderator: Delphine Bedel.
15:00 – 15:30
BREAK
15:30 – 17:00
PANEL: Claiming Space
Featuring curators Manique Hendricks and Miki Gebrelul, and artist Bete van Meeuwen.
Moderator: Mounir Samuel.
17:00
DAY 2 PROGRAMME CONCLUDES AT CENTRAAL MUSEUM
18:00 – 18:30
PERFORMANCE:
Scent from Heaven: Ritual of Dreamers by artist Hiền Hoàng.
Location: FOTODOK.
18:30 – 19:30
EXHIBITION TOUR:
ENERGY: Redistributing Power and Taming Consumption, led by editor Tom Viaene with artists Yana Wernicke, Yana Kononova, and Umberto Diecinove.
Location: FOTODOK.
19:30 – 21:00
DINNER
This event is by invitation only.
Location: FOTODOK.
Sunday, 3 November
10:00 – 10:30
WALK IN & LIGHT BREAKFAST
This event is by invitation only.
10:30 – 11:00
EXHIBITION TOUR:
Welkom thuis, lieverd led by artist Anna Aagaard Jensen at Centraal Museum.
11:15 – 11:30
WELCOME SPEECH
Introduction to Day 3 public program by curators Delphine Bedel & Daria Tuminas.
11:30 – 13:00
PANEL: Notes on Collecting Photography
Featuring collector Narda van ‘t Veer, curator Guinevere Ras, and curator Valeria Posada Villada.
Moderator: Rubiah Balsem.
13:00 – 14:00
LUNCH
14:00 – 14:40
SPOKEN COLUMN
By journalist Hasna el Maroudi.
15:00
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME CONCLUDES
More info about the program here
On October 31 2024, FUTURES and FOTODOK launch ENERGY: Redistributing Power and Taming Consumption.
This exhibition explores the ecological, socio-political, economic, and humanitarian energy crises that both human beings and non-human entities face today. But at the same time it reminds us that energy is seen – somewhat paradoxically – as the power we require to bring change to the world. It serves as a catalyst for vitality, creativity and strength. It brings people together, making us socially active and able to help one another, as well as allowing us to react to ecological and social and political emergencies.
The exhibition shows a diversity of approaches to the subject in the projects of the eight selected artists.Yana Kononova (Ukraine) talks about the destructive forces of energy in warfare, Tanja Engelberts (the Netherlands) examines the pitfalls of extractivism. Hiền Hoàng (Vietnam and Germany) reflects on healing and Yana Wernicke (Germany) advocates for unity across different species. Dávid Biró (Hungary), Umberto Diecinove (Italy) and Antonio Guerra (Spain) explore the potential of existing solutions to the crises we face. Elsewhere, Marta Pinto Machado (Cape Verde and Portugal) reimagines the energy of contemporary cities – themselves shaped by colonial and capitalist ideas – as a possible form of resistance.
Opening: 31 Oct. 2024 | 17:00 - 20:00 at FOTODOK, Lange Nieuwstraat 7, Utrecht.
Exhibition Run: November 1, 2024 – February 2, 2025 | at FOTODOK, Lange Nieuwstraat 7, Utrecht.
With the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
Each year, a number of FUTURES members co-curate an international exhibition. The exhibition is launched at the members’ respective countries accompanied by the Meet Up event that acts as a get together point for invited international and local professionals and local artists. This year’s exhibition ENERGY: Redistributing Power and Taming Consumption is co-curated by members FOTODOK, PhotoIreland, and the Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center, with Fotomuseum Antwerpen as publishing partner of Trigger.
The Utrecht exhibition is curated by Daria Tuminas (FOTODOK).
ENERGY: Redistributing Power and Taming Consumption is a group exhibition, an anthology of diverse photographic projects focusing on energy, one of the most relevant and complex topics today, and one which everybody has to deal with either as a private or as a public matter.
From personal stories to documentary and social approaches, to the exploration of the limits of photography as a medium seeking new forms of narration, each photo series and multi-media installations lined up in the ENERGY: Redistributing Power and Taming Consumption exhibition could stand on its own as a case study, providing a condensed representation of the ideas associated with this multilayered topic. While some projects talk about the destructive forces of energy in warfare or in extractivist society (Tanja Engelberts; Yana Kononova), others explore existing strategies as possible solutions (Dávid Biró; Umberto Diecinove; Antonio Guerra), exemplify desirable companionships (Yana Wernicke) and reflect on healing (Hien Hoang). Finally, there is a perspective on how the colonial and capitalist structures shaped contemporary cities and how the energy of presence in these spaces could be a form of resistance (Marta Pinto Machado).
Exhibition Run 18 October–10 November 2024
Opening Hours 11am-6pm Tue-Sun. Closed Mondays and 18-19th October for events
At North Bank House, Coopers Cross, 49 Castleforbes Road, North Wall, Dublin 1
With the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
Each year, a number of FUTURES members co-curate an international exhibition. The exhibition is launched at the members’ respective countries accompanied by the Meet Up event that acts as a get together point for invited international and local professionals and local artists. This year’s exhibition ENERGY: Redistributing Power and Taming Consumption is co-curated by members FOTODOK, PhotoIreland, and the Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center, with Fotomuseum Antwerpen as publishing partner of Trigger.
The Dublin exhibition is curated by Ángel Luis González and Julia Gelezova (PhotoIreland), with the support of Emese Mucsi (Capa Center) and Daria Tuminas (FOTODOK).
This October, FUTURES and PhotoIreland proudly present an exciting program in Dublin that showcases contemporary photographic practices while addressing pressing socio-political issues. The FUTURES MEET UP will offer artist-led tours, public talks, and exclusive professional opportunities for both local and international artists, including group critiques, networking events, and studio visits.
A highlight of the program is the launch of the traveling exhibition ENERGY: Redistributing Power and Taming Consumption, featuring works by Antonio Guerra (ES), Dávid Biró (HU), Hiền Hoàng (VE/DE), Marta Pinto Machado (CV/PT), Tanja Engelberts (NL), Umberto Diecinove (IT), Yana Kononova (UA), and Yana Wernicke (DE). Curated by Ángel Luis González and Julia Gelezova (PhotoIreland), with support from Emese Mucsi (Capa Center) and Daria Tuminas (FOTODOK),this exhibition marks the Dublin debut of these artists’ work.
FUTURES MEET UP 2024: Dublin
PROGRAMME
The FUTURES MEET UP includes a mix of public and private events. Public events are open to all, while private sessions are for invited participants only.
THURSDAY 17TH OCTOBER
Public
6:00-8:00 PM | Launch of Exhibition: ENERGY: Redistributing Power and Taming Consumption
Location: North Bank House
6:30 PM: Opening speech by Ángel Luis González (Director, PhotoIreland) and Aoife Tunney (Joint Head, Creative Europe Culture Office, Arts Council of Ireland).
7:00-8:00 PM: Artists Meet and Greet with Antonio Guerra, Dávid Biró, Hiền Hoàng, Marta Pinto Machado, Tanja Engelberts, Umberto Diecinove, Yana Kononova, and Yana Wernicke.
FRIDAY 18TH OCTOBER
Private
10:30 AM-2:30 PM | Critical Practice Reviews
Location: North Bank House
Participating Irish artists: Aisling McCoy, Aoife Herrity, Berta Mars, Caitriona Dunnett, Conn McCarrick, and others.
3:00-5:00 PM | Private Exhibition Visits
Location: Dublin Port
Guided visit to TBG+S at Dublin Port, hosted by curator Michael Hill.
SATURDAY 19TH OCTOBER
Public
10:00-11:30 AM | Exhibition Tour: ENERGY: Redistributing Power and Taming Consumption
Location: North Bank House
Join PhotoIreland staff and exhibiting artists for a guided tour (booking required).
Public
12:00-1:00 PM | Panel Talk: Fuelling Culture: Arts Practice and the Sum of Its Parts
Location: North Bank House
Speakers: Menno Liauw (FUTURES), Lucy Soutter, Emese Mucsi, Tiago Casanova, and Gavin Murphy. Chaired by Ángel Luis González (PhotoIreland).
Private
2:00-5:00 PM | Studio Visits for Guest Artists and Curators
Location: Various across Dublin city
In collaboration with TBG+S, Fire Station Artists’ Studios, and others.
Public
6:00-7:00 PM | Photobook Launch: All Things Laid Dormant by Benedetta Casagrande
Location: The Library Project
Celebrate the launch and meet the artist.
Private
7:00 PM | FUTURES MEET UP Closing Event
Location: The Library Project
A private celebration for all guests to conclude the meet-up.
Complete program available here
Supported by the Arts Council of Ireland and co-funded by Creative Europe.
We are pleased to invite you to the opening The Institute for Scene Experiments by visual artist Nikhil Vettukattil which will take place on 03 October at 17:00 at the Futures Hub in Amsterdam.
The Institute for Scene Experiments is a parafictional institution devoted to the investigation, production and dissemination of scenes. In residence through FUTURES X MPB, the ISE will assemble a group of performers and technicians to analyse, deconstruct and reconstitute elements of cinematic scenes for camera, exploring alternative modes of staging narratives, framing, sound, and light. ISE aims to reflect on the film crew as a social form, engaging in the generativity and potentialities of scenes independent of plot, development and conclusivity, through formal techniques as well as collective authorship, ‘open rehearsal’ and collective editing. Some of the raw materials produced during the residency will be made publicly available for viewers to re-edit. A variety of game strategies are implemented in the process to examine both what is being filmed and the structures behind it. The work during the residency will reference lucid dreaming and hypnosis and borrow techniques from live action role playing games and theatrical exercises for improvisation, in preparation for a live event and workshop in October at Shedhalle, Zurich.
This event is part of the FUTURES X MPB residency is supported by MPB the largest global platform to buy, sell, and trade used photo and video equipment.
Opening | The Institute for Scene Experiments by Nikhil Vettukattil
Date: 03 October, 2024
Time: 17:00 - 20:30
Location: Isaac Titsinghkade 6B, Amsterdam
Free entrance!
Don't miss out, we look forward to seeing you there!
As part of this event, Nikhil invites participants to develop and workshop a scene.
Using a simple game strategy, we will re-enact a short, realistic dialogue for the camera, making modifications with each take and documenting the scene from different perspectives. The dialogue is based on a formal score, from which we will improvise. The exercise will examine the scene on two levels: the dynamic between the roles and the composition for a prospective edit.
The workshop will take place from 16:30 – 19:00, followed by a short conversation.
No prior experience is necessary.
Please note that participation means consenting to being filmed. If you would like to participate in the workshop, please register [here].
About Nikhil Vettukattil:
Nikhil Vettukattil is an artist living and working in Oslo. Using a range of media such as sound, installation, performance, text, sculpture, and video, their practice questions modes of representation and image-making processes in their relation to lived experiences. They studied at Central St. Martins in London and the Center for Research in Modern European Philosophy (CRMEP). Recent exhibitions include Hothouse Flowers, Podium, Oslo
(2024), Post Production, Studiengalerie 1.357 Goethe University, Frankfurt (2023), Contaminators, FELIX GAUDLITZ, Vienna (2023) and Claustrophobia Alpina III, Ford, Geneva (2023). They are a founding member of the Institute for Scene Experiments. Forthcoming solo presentations include Oslo Kunstforening, AGIT, Berlin and Arcadia Missa, London.
The exhibition Ties That Bind, open until November 3, presents the work of seven artists, focused on this year’s theme, which aims to “to challenge, untie, and move beyond familial ties. It explores new, meaningful ways to belong, connect, and experience closeness. It imagines new forms of attachment and kinship that could exist beyond familiar social structures, relationships, and species...or grow from within their loopholes.” It challenges and raises “questions, including those that are mischievous, fun, and dissident. It embraces projects that embody fragmented, contradictory, and open constructions of our individual and collective selves.”
The featured artists - Ihar Hancharuk, Sasha Chaika, Angyvir Padilla, Jan Durina, Dev Dhunsi, Sheung Yiu, and Donja Nasseri - were invited to embrace, challenge or rediscover various forms of attachments and connections within different social structures and relationships.
The 2024 Open Call was curated by The Bienal Fotografia do Porto, Fotogalleriet, Fotograf Magazine and Organ Vida Festival.
Ties That Bind Zagreb exhibition is curated by Organ Vida Festival.
Exhibition Run 26 September - 03 November 2024
At Museum of Contemporary Art - Zagreb (Croatia)
More info at http://www.msu.hr/hr/
Credits images Sasha Chaika.
With the support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.
In 2024, FUTURES annual event will be hosted by Organ Vida in Zagreb. For three days almost one hundred artists, twenty curators and heads of major international contemporary photography institutions will meet with the aim of building relationships, discussing the issues of our time and feeling increasingly part of a strong community based on contemporary photography. During the event the new FUTURES exhibition will be launched.
Join us this year as FUTURES brings a full program to Unseen Photography Fair!
Featured Artists:
At our booth, we are proud to present the works of Karolina Wojtas, Alexey Shlyk, and Claudia Fuggetti, three standout artists who were residents at the FUTURES Hub in Amsterdam earlier this year.
Artist Talk:
On Friday, September 20th, at 17:00, don’t miss a special artist talk by Nikhil Vettukattil, the current artist-in-residence from the FUTURES X MPB program. Nikhil will present their project The Institute for Scene Experiments at Meijburg Lounge - Unseen.
UNFOLDING FUTURES Showcase:
FUTURES will also spotlight four talented recent graduates from the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (KABK)—Alia Leonardi, Joseph Kennel, Daniel Zduniuk, and Benjamin Morrison. Their projects from the UNFOLDING FUTURES residency will be featured on a dedicated wall at Unseen, offering a glimpse into the innovative approaches of the next generation of photographers.
FUTURES at Unseen Fair
🗓️ Thursday, September 19 – Sunday, September 22
🎤 Artist Talk: Friday, September 20 at 17:00 | Meijburg Lounge, Unseen Amsterdam Photography Fair
📌 Location: Klönneplein 1, 1014 DD Amsterdam
We look forward to seeing you there!