Foam_fusion - 24 en 25 mei 2008

Following the highly successful first weekend in 2006, Foam_Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam is organising a second Foam_fusion festival on 24 and 25 May 2008. Foam_fusion is a dynamic photo weekend aimed at a wide audience of photography enthusiasts. For two days, Foam is a place where guests and visitors from Holland and abroad meet each other. The programme includes a range of activities: films and documentaries, presentations and slide shows, discussions and debates, dialogues, workshops, portfolio discussions, a photo book market, a dance performance and much more.

A remarkable programme has been compiled in collaboration with various partners, including IDFA (International Documentary Festival Amsterdam), Nufoto.nl, Cinemien filmdistributors, Stichting Nowhere and Paradiso. There is a special film programme with films and documentaries by, of and about photographers. Foam also introduces a first this weekend with the premiere of the documentary ‘Annie Leibovitz: Life through a Lens’ (2007, distributed by Cinemien).

Several discussions and debates are planned, dealing with various contemporary issues in photography. Photographers Jacob Holdt, Christopher LaMarca, Sander Veeneman and others present work and expand on the role of the committed photographer. Authorship will be one of the subjects debated, Nufoto.nl investigates the emergence of amateur journalism, former casting director and photography collector Hans Kemna, Alexander Schouten (University of Amsterdam) and a spokesperson from the webcommunity organisation MySpace discuss the way young people present themselves in photos on profile websites, and there will be discussions with various photo collectors.

Accompanying the exhibition ‘STASI - Secret Rooms’ Skin/André Gringas and Skin/Nanine Linning will stage a unique dance performance. Together with Stichting Nowhere and Palabras (Paradiso), spoken-word artists will give their own poetic interpretations of photos in the course of the festival.

Photography experts will be available during Foam_fusion to value visitors’ photos - old, special or found. The best of these photos will be presented in Foam.

Foam_fusion begins on Saturday 24 May at 11.00 and continues until Sunday evening at 18.00. The weekend also features a festive evening programme. Foam_fusion is free. For more information and a complete programme see www.foam.nl.

Foam_fusion is made possible thanks to Stichting DOEN, VandenEnde Foundation and SNS REAAL Fonds.

Foam_fusion takes place on 24 and 25 May at Foam_Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam. Open daily 10.00-18.00, Thu/Fri 10.00-21.00. Tickets: € 7,00 / info: +31 (0)20 5516500 / www.foam.nl