Artist
Maite Vanhellemont
In 2025, she was selected for the FOTODOK Talent Embassy, and in 2024, the project “Zoals mij gewoon is” (As as is common to me) was presented during SPOOR Art Festival (BE), in collaboration with Plan B Arts Platform.
She is also a lecturer at the University of the Arts in Utrecht (NL), a language volunteer for women at Stichting Dynamo in Amsterdam (NL) and is currently enrolled in the part-time master's program “Education in Arts” at the Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam (NL).
A Little Memory of The Beginning
Firstly, this sentence refers to her personal experience at the time. It makes me wonder to what extent she was aware of what kind of beginning was starting? Secondly, the title also has a literal meaning, because there is very little knowledge about this specific period in the life of my grandparents. Based on what I do know, from family members and collective history, I think you could say that my grandfather was both oppressed, as well as part of the oppression. He fought against the Japanese occupation in Indonesia (1942-1943) as part of the Dutch army (KNIL) and was held hostage in a camp (1943-1945) where he had to work on the Burma Railway. Afterwards (1946-1947) he had to serve the KNIL again, fighting the Indonesian revolution, during which approximately 100.000 Indonesians have been killed.
In 1951, my grandparents, together with their three eldest children, including my father, left by boat for the Netherlands. They wanted to integrate as quickly and as well as they could. Throughout their lifetime, my grandparents never shared much about this period in their lives, but it has left its mark on my father's upbringing, and therefore also on me.
Within this project I reflect on my Dutch-Indonesian heritage. Through archival material, photography, video, drawing and text I try to trace fragmented family histories across time and geography. Through artistic research and embodied practices, I’m trying to find new rituals to engage with inherited memory and the stories that remain unspoken.
We congratulate the selected artists on their nominations.
We carefully reviewed all submitted materials from the shortlisted artists. Our evaluation considered both the artists’ overall practice—its urgency, innovation, uniqueness, and trajectory of development—and a recent project highlighted in their application.
We assessed the social and cultural relevance of the work, its political dimensions as embedded in everyday relations and infrastructures, the articulation of artistic language and voice, research-based and conceptual approaches, and a critical awareness of the photographic medium. We also considered the potential of the work to expand into installation or spatial presentation.
Additionally, we reflected on the momentum of each practice and what joining the FUTURES platform at this particular moment in 2026 could bring. For some artists, this aligned with a newly released project that could be shared with the community of artists and members; for others, with a clearly articulated motivation or proposal.
While not decisive, we also noted the relevance of combined practices, such as curatorial or educational work, and considered how each artist would contribute to the FUTURES community. Finally, we sought a balance of perspectives and stories, and the conversations these practices would bring forward. We want to highlight additionally that the selection includes artists with both formal art education backgrounds and self-taught paths.
In total, we discussed 18 applications, all of which were very strong. The selection process offered an opportunity to engage deeply with the practices of many remarkable artists. Artists who were not nominated this year will automatically remain on the shortlist for FOTODOK’s next nomination cycle. We wish them continued success in their work and in future nominations.”
FOTODOK’s nomination followed a two-step process, beginning with internal nominations by FOTODOK team members, who compiled a shortlist of artists. The final selection was then made by an external jury consisting of Astrid Hulsmann, curator at BredaPhoto (Breda), Guinevere Ras, curator at the Nederlands Fotomuseum (Rotterdam), and Tom Viaene, coordinator of the Trigger - a publication for reflection on photography (FOMU - Museum of Photography, Antwerp), with Daria Tuminas, artistic advisor and curator at FOTODOK, being the secretary of the process.
