Eleventh Edition Unseen Photo Fair: September 22-24. With a theme nature
Unseen Photo Fair, the international art fair dedicated to the avant-garde of contemporary photography, enters its second decade with this 11th edition. Internationally, Unseen has been considered leading and of institutional quality since its first edition. The upcoming edition shows that nature is a source of inspiration and concern for artists worldwide. The approach to the theme is made from a broad spectrum of perspectives, ranging from classic themes such as landscape or still life to documentary projects on the impact of the climate crisis.
Roderick van der Lee, director of Unseen: “It is wonderful to see that this year there is so clearly a theme that engages artists worldwide. Nature is highlighted in all its facets and depicted in many ways, demonstrating once again the versatility of the photograph as an object. From historical cyanotype to Artificial Intelligence based on the artist’s brainwaves, the complete and rich spectrum of the photographic medium is represented at Unseen.”
Unseen Photo Fair 2023
Some 70 galleries from home and abroad will participate in the fair again this year, including a number of newcomers. Galerie Carmen Arajao Arte from Venezuela will show work by Suwon Lee, a young photographer whose work is included in the collection of the prestigious MoMA in New York, among others. GRIMM presents a solo by renowned Belgian photographer Dirk Braeckman. Nature is emphatically present in all kinds of presentations. Galerie Bart, for instance, introduces floral still lifes by Femke Dekkers that explore the boundary between painting and photography; Hopstreet Gallery presents wire-stitched landscape photographs by Julie Cockburn. Milan-based Podbielski Contemporary presents a special solo presentation at the intersection of documentary and art on the olive tree die-off in Puglia.
Book Market
Some 70 publishers participate in the Book Market, and this year too, a series of book launches, book signings and photographers’ ‘talks’ provide a lively atmosphere.
Unbound
For the third time this year, Unbound is again part of Unseen in the adjacent building on the Westergasfabriek grounds. Unbound, an independent foundation, investigates the boundaries of the photographic universe. Each year, changing guest curators present a selection of sensational installations in which photography combines with genres such as sculpture, digital art, video art or performance art.
Digital: AI and NFTs
The 11th edition of Unseen presents photography in historical or familiar forms and as art at the intersection of digital and physical possibilities. Rome-based Galerie Spazio Nuovo, for instance, brings a solo presentation by Giuseppe Lo Schiavo; based on his own brainwaves, this artist has had photorealistic images created using Artificial Intelligence.
Also, like last year, Unseen has again partnered with Unveil, a platform for NFTs in photography. NFTs allow art photographers to stretch their artistic oeuvre with new and dynamic digital work. For instance, Thomas Albdorf and Dafna Talmor will present NFTs in which their work can be collected in digital, moving form for the first time.
About Unseen Amsterdam
Unseen Amsterdam is the leading international art fair for contemporary photography. Internationally acclaimed for its high curatorial standards and intimate atmosphere, the fair attracts galleries and collectors worldwide. The upcoming edition will occur from Friday, 22 September, to Sunday, 24 September 2023.
About Unbound
Unbound Foundation is an independent extension of Unseen, specifically dedicated to researching the boundaries of the photographic universe. In 2021, Unseen launched the first edition of Unbound with an exhibition of 15 groundbreaking projects selected by Marcel Feil, former artistic director of Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam. For each new edition, Unbound chooses a different guest curator. For 2022, this was Damarice Amao from the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
About Westergas
Westergas is an art and culture village where historical values and innovative ideas come together. With its headstrong but also typically Amsterdam character, this unique, monumental location in Westerpark surprises its visitors repeatedly.
Unseen Amsterdam
An overview of the 2023 participants can be found from June: Unseenamsterdam.com/participants
More details on the full 2023 programme can be found from June at: Unseenamsterdam.com/fair.
Online catalogue on Galleryviewer.com available from 12 September
Westergas | Klönneplein | 1014 DB | Amsterdam
Friday 22 September, 11.00 – 21.00 hours
Saturday, 23 September, 11.00 – 19.00 hours
Sunday, 24 September, 11.00 – 19.00 hours
Available from 1 June
Online day ticket: € 19.50 p.p.
Tickets can only be booked online in advance and are valid on a regular exhibition day.
Available via: Unseenamsterdam.com/#tickets
