INTRODUCTION
The jury visited the accredited art academies that have a separate photography specialization. These were the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, Academy of Art and Design St. Joost, AKI Enschede, Gerrit Rietveld Academy Amsterdam, and HKU Utrecht.
WINNAAR 2011
Raoul de Lange
GENOMINEES 2011
Pieter van den Boogert (KABK)
Guus Kaandorp (KABK)
Sanne Kabalt (HKU)
Raoul de Lange (KABK)
Lotte Reimann (Rietveld)
JURY 2011
Kim Knoppers
Colette Olof
Koen Hauser
Download the Jury Report.
ABSTRACT FROM THE JURY REPORT
PIETER VAN DE BOOGERT (KABK)
What We Wear
Pieter's work must have caught your attention. After the graduation exhibition, it was immediately picked up by Vrij Nederland, which is not surprising. The extensive project "What We Wear" is characterized by a thorough approach, well-structured, and displays a level of professionalism that is rare among recent graduates. In "What We Wear," Pieter follows the cycle of our clothing, which is produced in Asia, brought to the European market, and ultimately ends up in Africa as second-hand clothing. Through his project, Van den Boogert confronts us - as we all wear clothes - with the fact that our luxury is not disconnected from the impoverished conditions in the rest of the world. In addition to the quality of the photographs, the jury appreciates the innovative format in which the project is presented. The book, designed as a leporello, emphasizes the progression of the story. The collaboration with graphic designer Teun van der Heijden should not go unnoticed.
GUUS KAANDORP (KABK)
I am not Young Enough to Know Everything
His project "I am not Young Enough to Know Everything" consists of a collection of 12 booklets that can also be presented as an exhibition, framed on the wall. The booklets vary from a collection of unpretentious photos of large toes (probably Guus's own), emergency exits on the A10 ring road, the Isle of Man, and Fiat Pandas, to a single image of parrots in a tree. Each booklet has a form that suits the photos optimally. There is no compelling narrative in the booklets, and they are not related to each other. In the booklets, the photos are accompanied by descriptive text about the subject. It seems like Guus is trying to gain a grip on the world by organizing it as a visual encyclopedia. Perhaps he is inspired by the writer Georges Perec, who, like him, does not tell linear stories but experiments with form and leaves much to the reader's interpretation. Guus gives viewers the opportunity to read the booklets and the photos in a non-linear way and make their own connections.
SANNE KABALT (HKU)
Dissimilitude
In her project "Dissimilitude," Sanna Kabalt portrayed two young women in black and white over an extended period. The presentation by Sanne Kabalt was simple yet stunning. The portraits appeared as slides in a closed-off space, in a calm but balanced rhythm. Sometimes you would see three, sometimes just one. Sometimes, they were three photos of the same woman, allowing for comparison. The work shows how the same person can be so different and how different women can resemble each other. The work also deals with the passage of time. It is also an exploration of the genre of portrait photography. The jury emphasizes that the work is better suited for a slideshow than a book.
RAOUL DE LANGE (KABK)
Mug Shots
If you visited the graduation exhibition at KABK, you couldn't have missed "Mug Shots". It appeared to be a somewhat clumsily arranged souvenir shop, featuring products adorned with an abstract pixel pattern. T-shirts, flyers, wine bottles, and cups all bore this mysterious pattern. On the wall, the same pixel pattern was projected on a large scale. There was also a big red button that, when pressed, revealed the secret. The pixel patterns turned out to be a translation of the most gruesome photos of victims from the Arab Spring. These photos are rarely shown in conventional media. Last week was an exception. A full-page photo of a severely injured Khadaffi was displayed. The debate immediately reignited: can we be confronted with this or do we want to filter out all violence from our daily lives? This is the essence of Raoul's project. With his work, he seeks a new way to reintegrate these horrific images into our daily existence.
LOTTE REIMANN (RIETVELD)
Guffaw
Lotte graduated with her book "Guffaw," in which her photographs are combined with text. In her exhibition, the text is integrated and becomes a visually appealing part of the work as a whole. The style is reminiscent of a 1970s photo novel but delves much deeper emotionally. Her direct, sometimes raw visual language creates a story that is difficult to pinpoint, and you're not even sure if you want to read it. It revolves around expressing an inner world connected to childhood memories.