Looking at photos can be at least as interesting as taking them. And museums which are dedicated to photography are probably the best places to see and learn. On my recent holiday, I visited two fascinating venues in the Netherlands. Follow me to two major Dutch photography museums – places that you, as a lover of photography, don’t want to miss in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
I think studying other people’s photographs — be the authors famous or not, be the images pleasing to you or not — is a good way to improve your photography. Not only in terms of creativity, but also when it comes to reflecting photography as a medium. It certainly doesn’t need a museum or gallery exhibition for this. But it does help if someone has worked on the display and, as a curator, suggests something to you.
And that’s why I try to visit photography related museums when I am travelling. Both camera museums (for the more technical part, see here three suggestions in Germany) and photo exhibitions attract my interest. So it was when I recently stayed in the Netherlands. Let me take you to FOAM (Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam) and to Nederlands Fotomuseum in Rotterdam. They might well be the two most important Dutch photography museums.
Dutch photography museums, stop 1: FOAM, Amsterdam
The FOAM is located directly on one of the picturesque canals of Amsterdam, in Keizersgracht, towards the end (as seen from the central station) of the historic city centre. Even during the walk there, you might be prompted you to get out your camera at every corner. The museum is located in a complex of several 18th century houses and is far bigger than you might think from the outside.
Among the Dutch photography museums, the FOAM somehow stands out in not holding a permanent collection. The museum shows changing exhibitions and has space for three projects at the same time. They are housed on the ground floor and in the basement; on the first floor which stretches over various buildings; and on the top floor which reminds more of a private flat with a gallery full of books (which form the museum’s library, open by appointment).
Punk and other subcultures, now museum content
When I visited, the ground floor sported a big retrospective of Janette Beckmann under the title Rebels. Beckman, born 1959, started to work in London and documented/portrayed the first wave of punk in the 1970s. Thus, the title of her exhibition, which encompasses images of punk and alternative celebrities such as Billy Idol and Boy George. Subcultures continued to fascinate her. She moved to the US and portrayed many rappers, with increasingly diluted boundaries to fashion photography.
Her documentary approach remained, though, as a great juxtaposition of her images from the riots after the death of Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols in 1979 and of today’s Middle East-related peace protests. It is all especially interesting for all who have experienced the 1980s and 1990s and, indeed, right through to the present. If only the images were in better frames with better glass…
Can a photo be “true”?
The exit of the Beckman exhibition prepares you for the main part of the FOAM. In a kind of photo booth, you can have your picture made by AI. Describe yourself with a few words, and Dall-E or Midjourney or some other tool shows you how the AI “imagines” you. The outcome is often surprising, as a video reveals. It shows people at the moment in which they see “their” image. And all trust in photography as a medium begins to waver, as the question of authenticity arises. A provocation for sure, but also an important impulse for most people who will still see a photograph as something “real” or “true”.
Dutch Photo Museums address urgent questions
The main space of FOAM was, at the time of my visit, taken up by the exhibition Photography through the lens of AI, which showcases artistic positions of mainly younger artists. They give their answers to the question of how artificial intelligence will change the use and perception of photography. These statements range from photo-like images to video installations and almost sculptural works. It is difficult to describe it in all its diversity. The museum itself explains it this way: “The project consists of a group exhibition Missing Mirror, accompanied by the solo exhibition AI Attacks by Paolo Cirio, a thematic issue of Foam Magazine #66: MISSING MIRROR, and a presentation of Ctrl.Alt.Img in collaboration with affect lab.“
The curators’ question is relevant and uncomfortable at the same time: “If the naked eye cannot discern between an AI-generated image and a photograph, what does that mean for our understanding of photography?” The answers from the artists Akosua Viktoria Adu-Sanyah, Alexey Chernikov, Louisa Clement, Lynn Hershman, Christopher Meerdo, Maria Mavropoulou, Milo Poelman, Miti Ruangkritya, Philip Schütte, Brea Souders and Alexey Yurenev could not be more different. Certainly a thought provoking project which adds to one of the most important discourses of these days (until 11 September 2024).
An artist strikes back with AI based surveillance technology
A special part of the exhibition was dedicated to the Italian artist/activist Paolo Cirio who works on automated surveillance and AI-based face detection technologies, which are shaping our lives more profoundly than many might think. Discrimination and disinformation are two of his key topics, and after seeing his works, a certain 1984 feeling might creep up on you. Cirio, in turn, also uses AI for his counterattacks, thus showing the power of this technology but at the same time making himself common with what he is fighting against. Certainly no revelation from a photographic or aesthetic point of view, but all the more important for anyone who works with images and uses their power in any way (until 27 September 2024).
And, of course, identity questions
On the top floor, in an ambience reminiscent of a private sitting room, the FOAM showed works by the young German artist ShuShu Sieberns. In photos and videos, she explores (her) identity in various ways. Sequences show encounters with her religious grandmother who lived in Russia, the death of the beloved grandma, discourses on her homosexuality and generally perceptions of the world through the eyes of a young adult. Sieberns’ project, basically her graduation work at the renowned Gerrit Rietveld Academy, is titled Young Human, and it was also FOAM‘s contribution to Queer&Pride Amsterdam 2024 (ended 25 August 2024).
FOAM, a truly progressive Dutch photography museum
All in all, FOAM is, among the Dutch photography museums, a place worth visiting – especially if you are ready for a surprise. Don’t miss the fabulous FOAM magazines, which are something in between exhibition catalogue and art magazine. Several back issues can be bought from the nice café/shop on premises. FOAM, Keizergracht 609, is just a bit off Amsterdam’s most frequented streets, tram stop nearby. Info under +31 20 551 6500 or on www.foam.org. Open daily from 10am to 6pm, on Thursday until 9pm. Admission €16, various discounts, also for holders of touristic museum passes.
Nearby, also on Keizersgracht, is also Huis Marseille, the second photography-only museum in Amsterdam. Unlike FOAM, it has a permanent collection as well as changing exhibitions. I did not manage to visit it, but the website www.huismarseille.nl seems quite promising. Maybe one of our readers wants to add information in the comments section?
Dutch photography museums, stop 2: Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam
The walk to Nederlands Fotomuseum is spectacular to start with. Coming from the city centre, you cross the Erasmus Bridge, a masterpiece of civil engineering, finished in 1996, and walk past the skyscrapers by architect Rem Koolhaas and his colleagues. Behind it, next to the cruise terminal, you find what appears to be an old industrial building with a smallish red door. The entrance to the Netherland’s most important photography museum is understated, for sure.
99 works show the history of Dutch photography
Inside, after buying a ticket, you find four different areas. The permanent exhibition showcases a Gallery of Honor of Dutch Photography. According to the museum itself, it “presents the 99 most distinctive, significant and iconic works in the history of Dutch photography”. You can see 99 images from ca.1839 to 2020 by Dutch or Netherlands-related photographers. Among them are world-famous names such as Anton Corbijn, Ed van der Elsken, Violette Cornelius and Erwin Olaf. Others were completely unknown to me until then.
It is remarkable that a major part of the selected (by a group of experts, the museum says) photos are portraits in the narrower or wider sense. Land- or cityscapes, architecture or still life photos are rather rare. I found that interesting given the legacy of the Dutch Masters in art history.
At any rate, the exhibition presents stunning photos, and the exhibition layout gives you wonderful views across the room, opening surprising connections and contrasts. The museum offers a beautiful small guidebook for free with English explanations to all the 99 images — and a good explanation why the hundredth photo is missing (I won’t spoil it here). An app and a proper catalogue add to the package. Very well done all this!
How do the iconic works speak to today’s women of Rotterdam?
The Gallery of Honor alone would justify a visit, but there are three more areas. It is obvious that the museum people are trying to show positions that add to the white-male mainstream that rules the Gallery of Honor (despite all brave attempts to bring diversity also into this part of the museum). During my visit, I was particularly impressed by the exhibition of the works of Sebiha Öztaş.
Sebiha Öztaş asked the most diverse women from Rotterdam to pick their preferred image from the Gallery of Honor and took a portrait shot of them in a pose reflecting the chosen image. This is masterly created in a technical and a creative sense, and don’t be put off by the title WOMXN. More than a muse. It’s only a pity that the small texts, in which the portrayed women explain their choices, are only in Dutch, but your mobile phone will help you with a translation (until 31 December 2024).
A video installation takes you right into communities of L.A.
In the basement, the museum showed an equally interesting video installation by Monica Nouwens which is about those people of Los Angeles who are normally not dealt with by artists. They open their lives to Nouwens, and she puts them into a spectacular installation on semi-transparent screens.
The result is something between artistic and documentary, on a remarkable creative and technical level, full of humanity and yet sometimes sobering. It took a while to get into it, but it was more than worth it. This one is for you Serra is the title of this project which was created especially for this museum. Very convincing, I was really lucky to see it just before the finished (it ends on 15 September 2024).
Another proof how Dutch photography museums are addressing today’s discourse
The third temporary exhibition space was used for a post-colonial project: It is called I wish there was colour, I wish there was sound and reflects the work of Paul Julien. The Dutch researcher and photographer travelled around fifteen times through Africa, documenting what he saw. This perspective is deeply colonial and partly racist by today’s standards, no question. The museum created a new approach to show Julien’s images: “Since 2012, artist and researcher Andrea Stultiens has been studying the position of Paul Julien’s oeuvre within the image and imagination of Africa in the 20th century.”
For this, she involved people from Liberia, Sudan, Sierra Leone, a Batwa community living in the Virunga mountains, and Ethiopia who added their experiences and views to the historical images. The museum describes the idea as follows: “While visiting the exhibition, viewers are invited to reflect on how we should relate to visually appealing, even beautiful photographs that nevertheless memorialise problematic pasts that remain painful to many people.” For me, it was just a bit too educational, but others might feel differently (this exhibition also ends on 15 September 2024).
All in all, a multi-faceted view on photography in Nederlands Fotomuseum and, in its open-mindedness, certainly living and authentic proof of the prevailing culture and discourse in this country. You can find this excellent part of the Dutch photography museums in Statendam 1 (Las Palmas), Wilhelminapier, Rotterdam. It is also easy to reach by Metro or tram. Info under +31 (0) 10 20 30 405 or on www.nederlandsfotomuseum.nl. Open Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 5pm. Admission €16, several discounts, also with the so-called Rotterdampas for tourists.
Visiting Dutch Photography Museums: Conclusion and some practical advice
Both museums are different and worth a visit. I don’t like to rush through exhibitions (it stresses me, and I find is disrespectful towards the artists and museum people), so I took two and a half hours for every venue but could also have spent another hour there.
Both are in walking distance (30 minutes or so) from the main stations of both cities. Trying to reach them by car is not a good idea, especially in Amsterdam. Even in the high season, both places were not crowded and there might be no need to book a ticket in advance. So, you can see what the weather is like. Remember, a museum can also be a good place to go when it is very hot.
Exhibitions will change in the Dutch photography museums, but no reason to doubt the quality of upcoming projects
By the time you might eventually visit the Netherlands, the Dutch photo museums will have new exhibitions, there is always a major change in autumn. The museum websites are informative and will give you a good idea of what to expect.
The quality of all I have seen makes me very confident that also the upcoming exhibitions will be on an excellent level and that the admission fees (rather high compared to many other countries in Europe) are well invested money. If you want to see more museums in the country, the €75, year-round national museum pass might be interesting for you.
It includes FOAM, Nederlands Fotomuseum, and Huis Marseille, but also around 450 other museums, some of which with a global significance (Stedelijk, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum…). If you go on a culture trip to Holland, get the pass well in advance.
I thoroughly enjoyed the two museums and can recommend them wholeheartedly to anyone who is interested in photography and open to new aesthetic and thematic perspectives. And with the images of local/young/female/migrant… photographers you might even get a more profound understanding of the country you are visiting, or the society in which you are moving.
At least that is my experience. So I hope this article encourages you to visit one of the Dutch photography museums or similar places wherever you are: It is always worthwhile to learn how other people see the world.
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Lovely piece, JP. They really do support photography in the Netherlands. I note that both museums have entry charges. Photo Museum Ireland, which I chair, does not have entry charges, but we raise funds from our bookshop and photography classes. Our main funding comes from the State (annual arts grant) and from various funded projects, including exhibitions and publications. We work on joint projects with galleries and museums outside of Ireland as well, such Museum Am Kleistpark in Berlin and the Hof in Salzburg. The Dutch Photo Museums are to a standard we would aspire to and among our targets would be the ability to hold 3 major exhibitions simultaneously and to have a permanent exhibition of photography in Ireland. It is often difficult though to get the powers that fund to understand the value of photography as both an art and a practice. The Dutch really seem to have a good grasp on this. Thanks for this very nice article showing what can be done.
William
Sorry, William, for not replying earlier. I either do it instantly or you tend to forget it. Funding is a main issue for all cultural institutions, and especially for museums. The running costs (staff, energy, insurance…) are rising and rising while public and private funding is ever harder to get. The Dutch have decided that visitors have to make substantial contributions in the form of entrance fees. For me, that’s fine especially as students get big discounts or even free admission. All the best for your work – I hope to get round to returning to Dublin some day, I will pay the museum you are doing so much for a visit of course! JP
Thank you very much for this interesting article.
I was very pleased to see that there is an exhibition around the work of Paul Julien, the man who organized many, many expeditions into Africa, studying primarily numerous, called at the time Pygmee populations. King Albert of Belgium was interested in the roots of these peoples, and Julien, who had a doctorate in chemistry ‘won’ the contest and ventured into Congo in the 1926. Many expeditions followed. His succes was also due to the fact that he was able to befriend the tribes he met by giving away loads of salt and tobacco.
He financed practically all his successive trips by the books he wrote, which were very popular in the ’50’s and 60’s in The Netherlands.
I have all his books, and treasure them, not in the least because he was a great photographer, who sported his Leica on every expedition he made.
His work, despite the fact that it is written for the general public is interesting for anthropologist as well (I myself am an anthropologist).
Paul Julien was born in 1901 and died after a long, fruitful and inspiring life in 2001.
Thanks, Gerard, for your kind feedback. I was not aware of Paul Julien before visiting the exhibition, and was quite fascinated. His work is certainly rooted in its time and so was the exhibition rooted in our time. At any rate, I appreciate the discourse the Dutch Photography Museum has obviously made possible. Photographs that are not looked at have little value…