Unseen Amsterdam returns for its 12th edition, promising a stellar showcase of the global spectrum of contemporary photography. Around 25,000 visitors flock to the iconic Westergas site every year to discover compelling new images on display. This year, around 70 galleries and 65 independent publishers will present ground-breaking work that is pushing the boundaries of the medium. Today, we are pleased to share with you five creatives and galleries to watch out for, from the portraiture of Nella Ngingo to the landscape interventions of Svante Gullichsen. Here’s a guide to today’s established and emerging talent.
“I wanted to tell stories that I wasn’t seeing. I realised how important it is to have someone that knows your story telling your story” says Nella Ngingo (b. 1994) in an interview for Aeyde. The Burundi-Dutch photographer is a part of the Black Queer community and uses the camera to share the stories of members of her found family. Represented by Motormond at Unseen 2024, Ngingo will be showcasing a new series of portraits exploring the concept of errant Black girlhood with the Black Beauties (2023) project.
Svante Gullichsen | Galerie Helder
Helsinki-based photographer Svante Gullichsen (b. 1994) shares the personal self-portraits series, Hanging On (2016-2020). Here, the artist positions himself amidst the vast forces of nature. His raw and emotive compositions play out in and around the archipelago of Porvoo, taking viewers deep into the Finnish forest. In one image, Gullichsen stares out from underneath a blanket of thick lichen. In another, he clings to a rock against the crushing tide. There’s a sense of vulnerability, as well as inner courage and strength.
See our feature on Gullichsen in the August/September issue online, read more.
Giuseppe Lo Schiavo | Spazio Nuovo
What is “synthetic photography”? Giuseppe Lo Schiavo (b. 1986), an Italian-born visual artist and researcher, defines it as an image-making approach that “involves computer-based methods as opposed to traditional camera-based processes.” The series Windowscapes (2023) began as an experiment whereby Lo Schiavo measured the brainwave patterns of people presented with a real window, versus a simulated one. The results were surprisingly similar, and the following images question what that means.
See our feature on Lo Schiavo in the August/September issue online, read more.
“My work comments on our ethical responsibility of bearing witness, but also on the metaphorical veil or filter that we place between evidence and witness.” Ostensibly, Barry Salzman’s (b. 1963) series How We See the World series may appear as an abstract homage to landscapes. However, these stills show locations scarred by 20th-century genocides, such as Rwanda, Poland, Namibia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine. Salzman’s images reflect on these tragedies, exploring humanity’s role as witness.
The camera offers a bridge between past and present, connecting geographies and generations. Atong Atem (b. 1994) is an Ethiopian born, South Sudanese artist and writer living in Narm/Melbourne. Her work engages with the intimacy of portraiture and photography, providing a portal into the world of the subject in front of the lens. She presents Men In This Town at Unseen Amsterdam, which references the works of 20th century African studio photographers Malick Sidibé, Philip Kwame Apagya and Seydou Keïta.
Westergas, Unseen Amsterdam | 19-22 September
Words: Diana Bestwish Tetteh
Image Credits:
- Motormond, Nella Ngingo, Amaso y’inyana, from the series Brave Beauties 2023.
- Motormond, Nella Ngingo, Amaso y’inyana, from the series Brave Beauties 2023.
- Galerie Helder, Svante Gullichsen, Fire Away, 2020.
- Spazio Nuovo, Giuseppe Lo Schiavo, Jupiter and the Ocean 2024.
- Giuseppe Lo Schiavo, Daphne and the Ocean B, (2024). Image courtesy the artist.
- Barry Salzman, Sentinel And Witness, Swakopmund, Namibia, 2023. THK Gallery.
- MARS Gallery, Atong Atem, Men In This Town 2024.
- MARS Gallery, Atong Atem, Men In This Town 2024.
