Kummer & Herrman we design stories

When we talk about the photographic heritage of the Netherlands and about Dutch photography, what photography and which makers are we actually talking about? And who don’t we talk about? Whose heritage is accorded recognition and the right to be in the museum and whose heritage is ignored?

For the exhibition ‘Imagination’, 23 lens-based artists were selected for their highly independent attitude to the way they present their relationship to the world. The works guide you through social issues concerning identity and representation and relate to each other in unexpected ways.

The concept of the exhibition is based on the question what it actually means to look at photography unbiased. Together with curators Aya Musa and Guinevere Ras, we decided to present all works separately from the names of their makers and without any initial context. This allows you to have a look at the images first and challenges you to think about perception, identity and representation. Background information can be found in the colorfully lit cubes in the center of the exhibition.

Within these ‘context cubes’, visitors will also find a place where they are able to share their thoughts. Visitors can express themselves by putting colorful stickers on a wall, where a ‘cloud of thoughts’ is created that represents the ‘in between’ that the exhibition is trying to make visible.

The accompanying publication follows the concept of separating images from their context, which results in a unique and surprising book design. On the cover, the colors – that were carefully selected for the exhibition and campaign – create a similarity between the visual language of the exhibition and publication.