Sander Coers (b. 1997, NL) is a Rotterdam-based artist working with photography. By deconstructing and recontextualizing memory, Coers explores how personal and collective histories are inherited and internalized. His work invites viewers to consider how we remember, how we forget, and how those processes shape our identities over time.
Blending photography with materials such as wood, textiles, and ceramics, Coers expands the tactile and emotional dimensions of memory. Alongside these traditional elements, he integrates emerging technologies like AI and digital manipulation—drawnto AI’s mimicry of memory itself: selective, fragmented, and generative.
His practice is rooted in revisiting images that present idealized versions of the past—particularly family photographs that appear warm or nostalgic, yet often mask deeper emotional currents. Through layered compositions, Coers encourages viewers to look beyond the surface, confront inherited silences, and reflect on how memory, masculinity, and identity are constructed and transmitted.
Blending photography with materials such as wood, textiles, and ceramics, Coers expands the tactile and emotional dimensions of memory. Alongside these traditional elements, he integrates emerging technologies like AI and digital manipulation—drawnto AI’s mimicry of memory itself: selective, fragmented, and generative.
His practice is rooted in revisiting images that present idealized versions of the past—particularly family photographs that appear warm or nostalgic, yet often mask deeper emotional currents. Through layered compositions, Coers encourages viewers to look beyond the surface, confront inherited silences, and reflect on how memory, masculinity, and identity are constructed and transmitted.
Artworks
Articles
Media
Highlights
Recommendations
Collections
Shows
Market position
CV
Artworks by Sander Coers
Media
Sander Coers – Fotomuseum Den Haag, The Hague, NL, 2025-2026
Shows
Market position
Since graduating with Honours in Fine Art from the Willem de Kooning Academie in 2021, Coers has published three books: Come Home, This Naked Incident, and Blue Mood (Al Mar). His work has been exhibited widely in the Netherlands and internationally, including presentations at FOAM Amsterdam, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation (Frankfurt), Preus Museum (Norway), PhMuseum (Italy), Depot Boijmans van Beuningen (Rotterdam), Museum Belvédère (Heerenveen), Foto Tallinn 2024 (Estonia), Athens Photo Festival (Greece), and Photo London (UK).
His work has been featured in publications such as Foam Magazine, Vogue, Die Zeit, i-D, The Guardian, British Journal of Photography, De Volkskrant, Metropolis M, Het Financieele Dagblad, NRC, Het Parool, Monopol Magazin, and Fisheye. Recognized as a "Rising Star of 2022" by NRC, he was nominated for the C/O Berlin Talent Award and is currently part of the Foam Talent program (2024–2025).
His work is held in the collections of the Preus Museum (Norway), the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rabobank, Vontobel Collection, Pardon Collection, the Mondriaan Fonds, and the Kunstcollectie Rijksoverheid.
His work has been featured in publications such as Foam Magazine, Vogue, Die Zeit, i-D, The Guardian, British Journal of Photography, De Volkskrant, Metropolis M, Het Financieele Dagblad, NRC, Het Parool, Monopol Magazin, and Fisheye. Recognized as a "Rising Star of 2022" by NRC, he was nominated for the C/O Berlin Talent Award and is currently part of the Foam Talent program (2024–2025).
His work is held in the collections of the Preus Museum (Norway), the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rabobank, Vontobel Collection, Pardon Collection, the Mondriaan Fonds, and the Kunstcollectie Rijksoverheid.
CV
Born in 1997, NL
Education
Willem de Kooning Academie | Fine Art | Rotterdam (NL) | 2021
Solo Exhibitions
upcoming
Open Doors Gallery | London (UK)
Mai Manó House | Budapest (HU)
2025
Rifugio Digitale | Florence (IT)
2024
Unfair | Amsterdam (NL)
Group Exhibitions
upcoming
Fotomuseum Den Haag | The Hague (NL)
FOTODOKS 2025 | Munich (DE)
Fotofestiwal 2025 | Łódź (PL)
Kranj Foto Fest | Kranj (SI)
Verzasca Foto Festival | Brione (CH)
Photo London x Nikon Gallery | London (UK)
2025
Galerie Caroline O’Breen, Art Island | Ijmuiden (NL)
Window Fourteen Gallery | Geneva (CH)
Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation | Eschborn (DE)
The Naked Truth, Het Archief | Rotterdam (NL)
2024
Open Doors Gallery | London (UK)
Foto Tallinn 2024, Kai Art Center | Tallinn (EE)
Palm Photo Prize, 1014 Gallery | London (UK)*
Young Collectors Circle x Clifford Chance | Amsterdam (NL)
Athens Photo Festival, Benaki Museum | Athens (GR)
Palm Photo Prize, Melkweg Expo | Amsterdam (NL)*
Photo London, Open Doors Gallery | London (UK)
Foam Talent, Foam | Amsterdam (NL)
A Flag | Amsterdam (NL)
2023
Grisebach x DER GREIF | Berlin (DE)
Grisebach x DER GREIF | Munich (DE)
OD Photo Prize, Open Doors Gallery | London (UK)
Vogue: What is Beauty | Milan (IT)
Preus Museum | Oslo (NO)
PhMuseum | Bologna (IT)
Unseen, Galerie Ron Mandos | Amsterdam (NL)
Springboard Art Fair | Utrecht (NL)
2022
Josilda da Conceição Gallery | Amsterdam (NL)
Rabo Portrait Prize, Het Depot Boijmans van Beuningen | Rotterdam (NL)
Unseen, Galerie Ron Mandos | Amsterdam (NL)
Wild Summer of Art, BRUTUS | Rotterdam (NL)
The Gallery Club | Amsterdam (NL)
Het Creatieve Huis x De Bijenkorf | Rotterdam (NL)
Palm Photo Prize, 1014 Gallery | London (UK)*
This Naked Incident, Showroom MAMA | Rotterdam (NL)
2021
Best of Graduates 2021, Galerie Ron Mandos | Amsterdam (NL)
Contour Gallery | Rotterdam (NL)
2020-2017
Noorderlicht Futurama, Museum Belvédère | Heerenveen (NL)
Gallery Untitled | Rotterdam (NL)
Beyond Dada en De Stijl, Museum Dr8888 | Drachten (NL)
New Dutch Photography Talent 2018 | Amsterdam (NL)
Prizes, Awards & Grants
2025 PhMuseum 2025 Photography Grant - shortlist
2024 CO Berlin Talent Award - nominated
2024 Nikon Emerging Photographer Award - shortlist
2024 Palm* Photo Prize - shortlist
2024 Mondriaan Fonds Kunstenaar Start - support
2024 Foam Talent - selected
2023 Preus Museum Award - shortlist
2023 OD Photo Prize - judge’s pick
2023 Booooooom Art & Photo Book Award - won
2023 Stichting Stokroos - support
2022 Rabo Portrait Prize Talent - shortlist
2022 SYB Kunstprijs - longlist
2022 OD Photo Prize - longlist
2022 Palm* Photo Prize - longlist
2022 Athens Photo Festival - longlist
2022 Rijzende Sterren, NRC - selected
2021 RM Photo Award - won
2021 Best of Graduates, Galerie Ron Mandos - selected
2021 Rabo Portrait Prize Talent - longlist
2018 New Dutch Photography Talent - selected
Books
Blue Mood (Al Mar)
Come Home
This Naked Incident
Commissions
Essentiel Antwerp
Sony Music
Die Zeit
Woolrich
PAL Sporting Goods
Daniëlle Cathari
The New Originals
Iris van Herpen
DJ Mag
Ajen
Press features
Foam, i-D, It’s Nice That, The Guardian, Vogue, Artnet, Artsy, The British Journal of Photography, De Volkskrant, Metropolis M, Het Financieele Dagblad, NRC, Het Parool, Unseen, Musée Magazine, Fisheye, Die Zeit, Weltkunst, Monopol Magazin, HERO, Paper Journal Mag, Dear Dave, C41 Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar NL, Elle NL, Número NL, Tique, WÜL Magazine, Booooooom, Positiv
Collections
Preus Museum, Norway
Rabobank, NL
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pardon Collection, NL
Vontobel, Switzerland
Mondriaan Fonds, NL
Kunstcollectie Rijksoverheid, NL
Education
Willem de Kooning Academie | Fine Art | Rotterdam (NL) | 2021
Solo Exhibitions
upcoming
Open Doors Gallery | London (UK)
Mai Manó House | Budapest (HU)
2025
Rifugio Digitale | Florence (IT)
2024
Unfair | Amsterdam (NL)
Group Exhibitions
upcoming
Fotomuseum Den Haag | The Hague (NL)
FOTODOKS 2025 | Munich (DE)
Fotofestiwal 2025 | Łódź (PL)
Kranj Foto Fest | Kranj (SI)
Verzasca Foto Festival | Brione (CH)
Photo London x Nikon Gallery | London (UK)
2025
Galerie Caroline O’Breen, Art Island | Ijmuiden (NL)
Window Fourteen Gallery | Geneva (CH)
Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation | Eschborn (DE)
The Naked Truth, Het Archief | Rotterdam (NL)
2024
Open Doors Gallery | London (UK)
Foto Tallinn 2024, Kai Art Center | Tallinn (EE)
Palm Photo Prize, 1014 Gallery | London (UK)*
Young Collectors Circle x Clifford Chance | Amsterdam (NL)
Athens Photo Festival, Benaki Museum | Athens (GR)
Palm Photo Prize, Melkweg Expo | Amsterdam (NL)*
Photo London, Open Doors Gallery | London (UK)
Foam Talent, Foam | Amsterdam (NL)
A Flag | Amsterdam (NL)
2023
Grisebach x DER GREIF | Berlin (DE)
Grisebach x DER GREIF | Munich (DE)
OD Photo Prize, Open Doors Gallery | London (UK)
Vogue: What is Beauty | Milan (IT)
Preus Museum | Oslo (NO)
PhMuseum | Bologna (IT)
Unseen, Galerie Ron Mandos | Amsterdam (NL)
Springboard Art Fair | Utrecht (NL)
2022
Josilda da Conceição Gallery | Amsterdam (NL)
Rabo Portrait Prize, Het Depot Boijmans van Beuningen | Rotterdam (NL)
Unseen, Galerie Ron Mandos | Amsterdam (NL)
Wild Summer of Art, BRUTUS | Rotterdam (NL)
The Gallery Club | Amsterdam (NL)
Het Creatieve Huis x De Bijenkorf | Rotterdam (NL)
Palm Photo Prize, 1014 Gallery | London (UK)*
This Naked Incident, Showroom MAMA | Rotterdam (NL)
2021
Best of Graduates 2021, Galerie Ron Mandos | Amsterdam (NL)
Contour Gallery | Rotterdam (NL)
2020-2017
Noorderlicht Futurama, Museum Belvédère | Heerenveen (NL)
Gallery Untitled | Rotterdam (NL)
Beyond Dada en De Stijl, Museum Dr8888 | Drachten (NL)
New Dutch Photography Talent 2018 | Amsterdam (NL)
Prizes, Awards & Grants
2025 PhMuseum 2025 Photography Grant - shortlist
2024 CO Berlin Talent Award - nominated
2024 Nikon Emerging Photographer Award - shortlist
2024 Palm* Photo Prize - shortlist
2024 Mondriaan Fonds Kunstenaar Start - support
2024 Foam Talent - selected
2023 Preus Museum Award - shortlist
2023 OD Photo Prize - judge’s pick
2023 Booooooom Art & Photo Book Award - won
2023 Stichting Stokroos - support
2022 Rabo Portrait Prize Talent - shortlist
2022 SYB Kunstprijs - longlist
2022 OD Photo Prize - longlist
2022 Palm* Photo Prize - longlist
2022 Athens Photo Festival - longlist
2022 Rijzende Sterren, NRC - selected
2021 RM Photo Award - won
2021 Best of Graduates, Galerie Ron Mandos - selected
2021 Rabo Portrait Prize Talent - longlist
2018 New Dutch Photography Talent - selected
Books
Blue Mood (Al Mar)
Come Home
This Naked Incident
Commissions
Essentiel Antwerp
Sony Music
Die Zeit
Woolrich
PAL Sporting Goods
Daniëlle Cathari
The New Originals
Iris van Herpen
DJ Mag
Ajen
Press features
Foam, i-D, It’s Nice That, The Guardian, Vogue, Artnet, Artsy, The British Journal of Photography, De Volkskrant, Metropolis M, Het Financieele Dagblad, NRC, Het Parool, Unseen, Musée Magazine, Fisheye, Die Zeit, Weltkunst, Monopol Magazin, HERO, Paper Journal Mag, Dear Dave, C41 Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar NL, Elle NL, Número NL, Tique, WÜL Magazine, Booooooom, Positiv
Collections
Preus Museum, Norway
Rabobank, NL
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pardon Collection, NL
Vontobel, Switzerland
Mondriaan Fonds, NL
Kunstcollectie Rijksoverheid, NL
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