Turning Photography Visitors Programme

Turning Photography is an online publication realised on the occasion of Dirk Braeckman’s selection for the Belgian Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale. The publication features a series of specially commissioned essays as well as a selection of more than 50 portraits of artists whose work leads to an experimental exploration and critical re-evaluation of the role of the photographer in the broader field of contemporary visual art and culture. Next to a selection of older, more established artists and photographers, Turning Photography focuses on a generation of up-and-coming young photographers and presents some of the most audacious artists working in the medium of photography in Belgium today (turningphotography.be).

The Turning Photography Curators Programme will take place from 14 to 17 March 2018 and include meetings with the artists featured in the publication as well as visits of arts institutions and professional networking events.

The programme is organised by Flanders Arts Institute, Wallonia-Brussels International and the Direction des Arts plastiques contemporains of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in close collaboration with BIP – Biennial of the Possible Image, BOZAR Centre for Fine Arts, M – Museum Leuven and FOMU – Fotomuseum Antwerp.

Programme

WEDNESDAY 14 MARCH – BRUSSELS

• Presentation of the project ‘Le Fusée de la Motographie’ (a project by Recyclart) in the presence of Vincen Beeckman
• Meeting with the artist Michel Mazzoni at Contretype Centre for Contemporary Photography
• Meeting with the Head of Exhibitions Sophie Lauwers, the Exhibition Coordinators and the artists Dirk Braeckman and Benoît Platéus at BOZAR – Centre for Fine Arts, followed by the visit of their exhibitions

THURSDAY 15 MARCH – LEUVEN & ANTWERPEN

• A visit to the Dirk Braeckman exhibition in Leuven. Followed by a visit to Fotomuseum Antwerpen.
• A meet & greet with the artists featured in Turning Photography: Arnaud de Wolf, Chantal Maes, Charif Benhelima, Collectif La Grotte, Dominique Somers, Egon Van Herreweghe, Els Vanden Meersch, Geert Goiris, Jan Kempenaers, Katrien De Blauwer, Marie José Burki, Stephanie Kiwitt, Tom Callemin, Wim Wauman, Yoann Van Parys

FRIDAY 16 MARCH – LIÈGE & CHARLEROI

• Liège – Meeting with the Artistic Director of the Biennial of the Possible Image Anne-Françoise Lesuisse and visit of the exhibition ‘Fluo Noir’ at La Boverie.
• ‘Meet & Greet’ with artists featured in Turning Photography: Agnès Geoffray, Anne De Gelas, David Bergé, Katja Mater, Lara Gasparotto, Liesbet Grupping, Marc De Blieck, Patrick Everaert, Sine Van Menxel, Stéphanie Roland, Thomas Bernardet
• Charleroi – Meeting with the Deputy Director of the Musée de la Photographie Christelle Rousseau and visit of the exhibitions
  • Marc Trivier: La lumière et les choses
  • 17th Prix National Photographie Ouverte
• Meeting with the Director of BPS22 Pierre-Olivier Rollin and the artist Marcel Berlanger, followed by the visit of the exhibitions
  • Marcel Berlanger: Fig.
  • Pauline Beugnies, Behind The Sun

SATURDAY 17 MARCH – BRUSSELS

• Meeting with the Director of Fondation A Stichting Jean-Paul Deridder and visit of the exhibition ‘Robert Adams: A Right to Stand’.
• Meeting with the Curator Devrim Bayar and the Residency Programme Coordinator Eva Gorsse at WIELS – Contemporary Art Centre and the artists-in-residence Paul Kuimet (EE), Nelson Makengo (DRC) and Jasper de Beijer (NL), followed by the visit of the exhibitions
  • Sophie Podolski: Le pays où tout est permis
  • Saâdane Afif: Paroles
  • ”, ”, ”, — Footnotes

Impressions by the participants

“These three days were very interesting to me. I got to know museums and institutions I haven’t been before and to meet curators and directors, some of them I already knew but do not meet often. I am also grateful for the portfolio sessions. The Turning Photography platform presents a selection of very interesting artists, though the talks were short I did get a better insight into the artists’ ideas than only from reading articles; the range of practices, concepts, and aesthetics was impressive.”
– Reinhard Braun

“Je suis heureuse d’avoir pu voir découvrir des lieux que je ne connaissais que de réputation, d’avoir découvert la qualité des infrastructures et l’exigence des politiques artistiques, ainsi que la grande qualité des démarches artistiques qu’ils nous a été données de rencontrer. C’était intéressant de rencontrer physiquement certains artistes dont je ne connaissais que le travail et de découvrir le travail d’autres artistes.”
–  Nathalie Giraudeau

“There are a couple of things I take away from my trip to Belgium: a.) that it was a highly professional masterpiece of logistical and social engineering b.) a very good mix of people also beyond the pure photography world, c.) that the institutional landscape is quite diverse, progressive and active and d.) that I could well imagine collaborating with the Biennale of the Possible Image or the BOZAR Summer of Photography in the future if there was interest.”
– Lars Willumeit