20 september 2024, Flor Linckens
Unseen: 3x the symbiosis of image and frame
At the Unseen photography fair (20-22 September) in Amsterdam, the focus is not only on what falls within the frame of the lens, but also on the presentation of the work itself. This overview highlights three works in which the frame is not merely a container but forms an integral part of the artistic experience. These artists invite the viewer to not only engage with the photographs themselves but also to consider the physical framing that surrounds them. By exploring the relationship between image and frame, they add an extra dimension to their art, in which the presentation is nearly as meaningful as the content.
American artist Eli Craven examines the relationship between images and the ways they are viewed. His practice revolves around the hidden meanings and physical possibilities of images, inviting the viewer to explore not just the image itself but also its presentation. This is made particularly clear in his sculptural photographic works, where he uses wooden panels and frames to blur the boundaries between picture and object. His compositions seem to encourage the viewer to look deeper, as if there is something to discover beyond the visible. Craven plays with ideas of desire and voyeurism: we gaze at the photos, but are simultaneously aware that the images, in a sense, look back at us. The combination of photography and sculpture in Craven’s work raises questions about the nature of image-making and how we consume images.
Eleye Boerenkamps | Singular-Art
Eleye Boerenkamps explores the tension between capturing fleeting emotions and the realisation that this is often an impossible task. Using everyday materials, such as empty packaging (in this case: a Cornetto ice cream box), building debris and found objects, she creates artworks that function as personal monuments — often alluding to the Dutch artist’s childhood. Her work delves into the complexity of emotions, relationships, and memories, with the elusiveness of these themes continuously surfacing.
Turkish artist Ali Bilge Akkaya presents a series of architectural photographs at the fair: images of modern and contemporary elements in museums and on the streets of Amsterdam, evoking a sense of timelessness. Though human figures occasionally appear in his scenes, but they primarily serve to provide a sense of scale without offering any real warmth or connection. Akkaya’s work emphasises the geometric and mathematical aspects of urban architecture, with a keen eye for balance and symmetry. The artist plays with light, contrast, and tonality, imbuing his compositions with a dynamic quality, further enhanced by the specially designed frames. These architectural, occasionally three-dimensional frames form an integral part of the work and contribute to the spatial experience of the photography.
