Artist
Natalie Malisse
Natalie Malisse (b. 1998) is a Belgian photographer based in Brussels. She graduated from ESA “Le 75” (BE) and holds a master’s degree from KASK, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent (BE).
Through image and text, her practice explores the vulnerabilities and layers that shape our identities, navigating traumatic memory, mental health, disability, and gender inequalities.
Malisse is the recipient of the residency awarded by the Friends of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Saint-Étienne Métropole (MAMC+). Her work has been exhibited in Belgium and France, including at the Photography Museum in Charleroi, Festival OFF Arles, Circulation(s) Festival, the Centre Photographique Hôtel Fontfreyde, and Prix Médiatine. Her pictures will be presented in 2026 at FOMU (BE), Cultuurcentrum Hasselt (BE), and the Biennale de la Photographie de Mulhouse (FR).
"La grande maison", published by les éditions du Caïd, is her first book.
La grande maison
“The nights bring back the memories that our days strive to forget.” In “La grande maison” (2018-2023), Natalie Malisse investigates the psychogeographical territories of memory fragments that haunt personal recurring nightmares.
Photographs and texts track the silent shadows and invisible wounds of childhood in the paternal home as the house becomes a mental space that spans beyond its walls.
The pictures denounce intrafamily violence that hides behind appearances and the silence that surrounds it : “The words of children are like a breath, whispering of violence lurking behind the walls.”
FOMU invites three external jurors to help select the artists. This year’s jury consisted of Youqine Léfevre (artist and .tiff 2021 participant), Magali Elali (founding artistic director of The Constant Now) and Cale Garrido (curator of the Triennial of Photography Hamburg).
The jury made the selection based on the Fomu criteria:
1. Contemporary relevance
Everything we do is topical and relevant to modern society. We deliberately choose historical and contemporary subjects and projects that are interesting and relatable to a modern audience. We encourage reflection on societal issues and contribute to the prevailing social discourse.
2. Multivocality
We opt for subjects and projects that offer a multifaceted perspective on photographic imagery and the world. We also actively seek out and hold space for different views and perspectives and encourage the representation and involvement of creators from underrepresented communities and backgrounds.
3. Critical reflection on the medium and its evolution
Photography and reality have a multifaceted relationship. We are interested in the mechanisms of photography and deliberately work with photographers who critically engage with the medium or its history and are aware of artistic-conceptual positions and visual language.
4. Ethical position
Due to its complex relationship with reality, photography inevitably raises ethical questions. We are keenly aware of the context in which images emerge and exist. As a result, we always consider the intention and impact of images. We approach all images with the necessary caution and contextualise them within their historical context.
Fomu invited fellow Futures members to be part of the jury that would pick four artists from ten to join the Futures program. The jury consisted of Caroline von Courten & Simon Lovermann of Der Greif and Katalin Kopin & Emese Mucsi of Robert Capa Contemporary Photography Center.
