Second edition of the Ostend International Photography Biennial with Mous Lamrabat, Joel-Peter Witkin, Julia Fullerton-Batten and Marie Wynants
At the end of summer 2023, Ostend will host the second edition of the International Photography Biennial. Several locations in the city will be the playground and backdrop for a host of Belgian and foreign talents to exhibit their work. Together, more than 30 renowned photographers will help transform the city into a gigantic photo exhibition, each with their own personal touch. At the heart of this Photography Biennial is the link with other art forms. Sculpture, cinema, religion and painting are all sources of inspiration for the magnificent contemporary and conceptual works of the art photographers. Each of the photographic works at the Ostend International Photography Biennial will reflect this theme in a unique, contemporary and personal way.
With this second edition of the Ostend International Photography Biennial, Stéphane Verheye, curator of the biennial, intends to highlight this interweaving of photography with other forms of visual art, by offering a group of art photographers an exceptional stage on which to exhibit their work.
One of today’s most celebrated and acclaimed living photographers, the American Joel-Peter Witkin, will be exhibiting his work at Fort Napoléon as part of the Biennial of Photography. A truly unique work! Fascinated by ugliness, Witkin tries to sublimate its beauty in his works, which makes for an interesting, sometimes shocking, spectacle. Many of his works have a link with the art of the past, and are therefore perfectly in tune with the theme of this year’s show.
Rising Belgian star Marie Wynants will be exhibiting at the James Ensor Museum. Her catalogue includes record sleeves by artists such as Angèle, Charlotte De Witte, Tamino and Oscar & The Wolf. His lens also features iconic brands such as Delvaux, Ann Demeulemeester, Chanel and Fujifilm. The link with elegance is never far away, an absolute must for the photographer. Athos Burez’s work will also be on show at the James Ensor Museum. In his own words, the camera gives the young photographer a greater sense of freedom than the paintbrush, yet the influence of painting is never far away.
The refreshingly humorous work of talented Belgian-Moroccan artist Mous Lamrabat, on show in the Parc Léopold, is another example of Belgian photography at the highest level. With his multicultural surrealism, he weaves together elements of his two cultural identities. In doing so, Mous carefully chooses universally recognisable symbols to create a fluid visual narrative that can be understood by all.
Fort Napoléon will also be hosting a double exhibition by Belgian photographers Tony Le Duc and Diane Hendrikx. Their visions of photography converge to form a whole. Tony Le Duc is a pioneer of international culinary photography who, like a painter, composes his dishes like a carefully considered painting. The second is a sought-after expert in lifestyle photography.
At Mu.ZEE, you can admire the work of Austrian photographer Aglaia Konrad. Fascinated by the effects of globalisation and homogenisation on urban (and metropolitan) space, she approaches her work like an archaeologist. For the Mu.ZEE spaces, inherent to her practice, she is developing a new spatial installation based on the architecture of the exhibition space. In addition to the objects, the installation includes a new series of photographs.
Other (inter)national artists on show include: Jenny Boot (NL), Julia Fullerton-Batten (GB), Bara Prasilova (HU), Athos Burez (BE), Aglaia Konrad (AUT), Jenny Ymker (NL), Luca Izzo (IT), Soo Burnell (UK), Olivier Valsecchi (FR) and Stefano Bonazzi (IT). The wide variety of styles, both distinct and personal, offers visitors a fantastic experience. Expect a journey mixing surrealism, realism, chiaroscuro, comics, art installation, colour, still life, detail and, above all, leaving room for personal interpretation.
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Biennale internationale de la photographie d'Ostende
Ostende, Belgium
September 16, 2023 to November 12, 2023
