Introduction

Jury chair Merel Bem and jury members Juul Hondius and Vincent van Velsen selected five photographic graduation projects for the Steenbergen Stipendium 2024. The Stipendium was awarded to Andrea Bonderup on November 15, 2024.

The jury on Bonderup:
"In the softness of the belly..." is a quirky and original work that is constantly everything at once, yet crystal clear in what it aims to convey. It is monumental yet intimate, both in content and form. It is highly personal, yet also universal. It is soft and sensitive, but also confrontational and activist – without any of this feeling too overt. The powerful contrast between the handmade, expressive uterus – through which transparent veins with red liquid flow, and the headphone cord taking on the shape and texture of an umbilical cord – and the photo and film images integrated within it, makes this installation truly special.

Andrea Bonderup

In the softness of the belly…
"In the softness of the belly..." by Andrea Bonderup features a gigantic uterus made of painted plaster mounted on the wall, through which veins filled with 'real' flowing blood run, and within which photos and films are displayed. With this impressive artwork, she brings attention to the topic of abortion in a bold and playful way. Bonderup herself underwent an abortion in 2023. She processed her personal experience through her art and explored the subject with women who play an important role in her life.

Daan Hollander

Waiting for Gaia
The project "Waiting for Gaia" is about the vulnerability of nature and the human interaction with it. Daan Hollander explicitly links this subject to the digital age. The project aims to bridge the gap between humanity and Gaia, advocating for a perspective in which these two are one. Through introspection, symbols, and philosophical inquiry, the project attempts to envision a world where humans and Gaia coexist, with the digital age potentially playing a role in experiencing the sublime.

Vera Pluer

Arena des Mimes
"Arena des Mimes" is a short black-and-white film about bullfighting, in which mime is used as the performance method. Various elements come together in this film by Vera Pluer: her fascination with bullfighting, her love for old film techniques, collage, and mime. Additionally, she incorporates modern 3D techniques.

Davide Sartori

"The shape of our eyes, other things I wouldn’t know"
The work of Davide Sartori focuses on exploring and restoring personal and intergenerational relationships, with a particular emphasis on fatherhood. By inviting his father, who had always been a stranger to him, into his photography studio and visiting his father's workplace, the airport, he creates images that capture both the distance and the desire for closeness between them. These photos serve as tangible evidence of their growing relationship, with vulnerability and empathy at the core. His work sheds light on the often-overlooked aspects of fatherhood.

Miles Matsui Schleifer

Cloud Chamber
"The Cloud Chamber", by Miles Matsui Schleifer, is a flat surface on the wall, displaying ten traces. These traces are presented in ten rows of photos that from left to right seem to suggest a timeline, or possibly even tell a story. However, the exact nature of these stories remains unclear; the traces left by the photographer appear as unsolvable puzzles. "The Cloud Chamber" is a narrative full of doubt, confusion, and a struggle with adulthood. It is a search for answers to questions for which there are no satisfying solutions. "The Cloud Chamber" may reveal traces, but they remain shrouded in mystery.