UNSEEN SEEN AGAIN
A welcome return of the photography fair, finally a special spot for photography to be celebrated after being starved of it in the flesh for so long. Out of the many photography and art fairs out there, Unseen is a particular favourite of Oath’s as it celebrates emerging talents. The fair is housed at Gashouder, an industrial building in the Westergas and is an absolute must-see for all photography enthusiasts. The unique and quirky venue is in the heart of Amsterdam. It is a large pillar-less chamber with an iron roof, and when the fair is on it’s filled to the brim with exceptional photography. The circular space is divided up into slices for each gallery to exhibit work, much like a pie. We are drooling already.
© Iris Duvekot
So, what to expect to SEE at UNSEEN this year?
First up is the new UNBOUND which is a section for boundary-breaking, multidisciplinary photographic work. Unbound has a unique theme and different independent curators every year. The theme for Unbound 2021 is ‘Filling the Cracks’, about man’s changing relationship between his own nature, and the environment surrounding him. Curator for Unbound 2021 is Marcel Feil, former Artistic Director of Foam photography museum: “Photography is one of the most rich and surprising media, especially today. The photographic image is no longer confined to flat form. These days, photography convincingly relates itself to three-dimensional objects, integrates itself into spatial installations, or merges into digital- and video art. Which is why an initiative such as Unbound is so incredibly important: it acknowledges the hybrid nature of many recent developments within contemporary photography and leads to fascinating new creations. Unbound is an equally beguiling as relevant addition to Unseen.”
Oath’s personal favourite at the fair has always been the delightful book fair. For those visiting that can’t afford to start their collection and buy a photographic print, you can still get your hands on wonderful independent books and walk away with special printed matter. It is a very well-loved part of the fair for independent publishers of photography books and zines. It will present a broad range of special publications, with many book launches and artist signing sessions planned for the fair.
What is on our radar to visit? Nuweland Gallery! In our recently launched Volume II we feature the work of Micha Serraf, a rising photography star in our Go-See’s section, and are delighted to see that he will be exhibited at Nuweland gallery. https://nuweland.nl
© Micha Serraf | Midi Yedu
For those of you unable to attend the fair, there is an online catalogue available: http://galleryviewer.com/ We will also be sharing our visit to the fair on our social channels so stay tuned to @oathmagazine
To view participating galleries click: https://unseenamsterdam.com/nl/deelnemers/
On the selection committee this year:
Azu Nwagbogu, Founder/Director of African Artists’ Foundation and Lagos Photo Brett Rogers, Director of The Photographers Gallery Joachim Naudts, Artistic Coordinator at Kunsthal Extra City Kathlene Fox-Davies, Black Box Projects Ron Mandos, Galerie Ron Mandos Narda van ’t Veer, The Ravestijn Gallery
More details about the full 2021 program can be found here: Unseenamsterdam.com
Westergas | Klönneplein | 1014 DB | Amsterdam
Friday 17 September 11.00 - 21.00
Saturday 18 September 11.00 - 19.00
Sunday 19 September 11.00 - 19.00
Unseen presents a strong international selection of exhibitors for the upcoming edition. Next to galleries from the Netherlands, there is a notable presence of strong European galleries, particularly from France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy, but participants also include galleries from further afield, such as Iran and the United States. In terms of geography of the exhibiting artists, the selection is traditionally very global, with artists from Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and North and South America. For Kathlene Fox-Davies, member of fair’s Selection Committee, the strong international roster of exhibitors comes as no surprise:” I truly believe this fair and it’s programme are the most consequential happening in the photo world at the moment.”