Fotografie Forum Frankfurt
Braubachstraße 30-32, 60311 Frankfurt am Main
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Olympus Fellowship
RECOMMENDED OLYMPUS FELLOWSHIP 2019/2020
Mika Sperling, Tobias Kruse und Karla Hiraldo Voleau
Old home, from the series “Brothers and Sisters”, 2014, © Mika Sperling
Thomas, from the series “Die Klasse”, 2017, © Tobias Kruse
Hola Mi Amol, 2019, © Karla Hieraldo Voleau
recommended fellows and curators 2019. Front row from left: Kim Knoppers (Curator Foam), Celina Lunsford (Curator FFF), Karla Hiraldo Voleau (Fellow), Mika Sperling (Fellow), Tobias Kurse (Fellow). Second row frem left: Juliane Hüppe (Olympus), Olaf Kreuter (Olympus), Ingo Taubhorn (Curator Haus der Photograhie/Deichtorhallen Hamburg) © Olympus/ Niklas Nischke
recommended, the fellowship for outstanding artistic photography, goes into the next round
Mika Sperling together with Karla Hiraldo Voleau and Tobias Kruse form the second volume of recommended. In 2017, Olympus launched the unique fellowship together with Fotografie Forum Frankfurt (FFF), Haus der Photographie/ Deichtorhallen Hamburg and Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam. It is awarded every two years. Three photographers each receive financial support of €10,000 for an artistic photography project and one year of coaching from a curator of the participating institutions.
The Stork Brings the Babies, aus der Serie »Before You, Above the Circle«, 2018, © Mika Sperling
Mika Sperling (*1990 Siberia, Russia) works biographically: Using the example of her own life story and experience, she deals with multiculturalism, identity and the places of life; she examines the effect of origin on the development of personality and on relationships within a family. The other two fellowship holders of the new recommended year are Karla Hiraldo Voleau (*1992, Dominican Republic) and Tobias Kruse (*1979, Germany). Like Mika Sperling, they will both work based on their personal documentary styles. Karla Hiraldo Voleau's images deal with identity, vulnerability, love, and gender roles in the relationship between man and woman; she is coached by Kim Knoppers, Curator at the Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam. Tobias Kruse's work focuses on a toxic waste dump near his home in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern; he is supervised by Ingo Taubhorn, Curator at the Haus der Photographie/Deichtorhallen Hamburg.
The second recommended year was selected by a three-member jury with Celina Lunsford, Ingo Taubhorn and Marcel Feil, Artistic Director of the Foam.
In the coming months, all three fellows will work on a photographic project, accompanied by the curators with workshops and individual meetings. Afterwards three exhibitions are planned; the new recommended works will be exhibited at the FFF from 19.09.–25.10.2020. The Haus der
Photographie/Deichtorhallen Hamburg will show the works from 21.03.–30.08.2020 and the Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam presents from 15.01.–11.04.2021.
The aim of the recommended fellowship and the four partners is to promote contemporary photography in the artistic field. The photographers receive effective support at a crucial point in their careers. “We are delighted that our FFF main sponsor Olympus has created another opportunity with recommended enabling our expertise in photography to support such excellent talents,” says Celina Lunsford.
FOTOGRAFIE FORUM FRANKFURT
The Fotografie Forum Frankfurt (FFF) is one of the leading centres of photography in Europe. As an exhibition space, institution and event forum the FFF deals with all aspects of photography. Since its founding in 1984 it has presented more than 290 exhibitions with historic and contemporary artists. Additionally, the programme of the FFF comprises of regular workshops, talks and discussions with internationally renowned photographers, artists and experts.
