Festival Frenzy

Festival

Festivals in the Netherlands are key cultural hotspots where millions of music fans find freedom in a transitory world. In next to no time, fields and areas of natural beauty are transformed into miniature cities, complete with plastic walkways, a host of amenities and their own temporary currency. In this edition of Document Netherlands, Eddo Hartmann explores the culture and architecture of festivals, with a sharp focus on individual experience in contrast to the teeming collectivity of the crowd. Using techniques such as exceptionally long exposures, Hartmann manipulates time to show crowds that appear to merge with their surroundings. His images pick out individuals, from festivalgoers entirely in their element to those in search of a moment’s respite.

Eddo Hartmann

Eddo Hartmann (1973) is known for the magic-realist, sometimes otherworldly nature of his work, which touches on social issues. His previous photographic series have focused on his childhood home (Here Lives My Home, 2008-12), Pyongyang as the setting for socialist propaganda (Setting the Stage, 2014-17) and the parts of the world being abandoned to nuclear testing (The Sacrifice Zone, 2019-23).

Document Netherlands Junior

Alongside the Document Netherlands exhibition, Document Netherlands Junior will be on view in the Rijksmuseum Photography Gallery. Document Netherlands Junior is an annual competition for budding photographers from secondary schools and vocational colleges, addressing the same theme as the Document Netherlands commission. Nine young nominees are given a masterclass by Eddo Hartmann, Fotolab Kiekie, Irma Boom Office and Rijksmuseum staff, and the photo series they produce all feature in the exhibition. From the top nine, two winners – one vocational and one secondary student – will be announced on 26 September.

THANKS

The exhibition Festival. Document Netherlands: Eddo Hartmann photographs festivals is co-sponsored by the Floor Fund/Rijksmuseum Fund, the Family Van Ogtrop Fund/Rijksmuseum Fund and Rijksmuseum NEXT.

Document Netherlands

Every year since 1975, Rijksmuseum has issued the Document Netherlands commission, inviting a Dutch photographer to create a series of images that resonate with a current social issue.

The roll call of Document Netherlands photographers includes:
Bert Nienhuis, Eddy Posthuma de Boer, Dolf Toussaint, Han Singels, Koen Wessing, Hans van den Bogaard, Bertien van Manen, Paul Babeliowsky, Jan Everhard, Eduard de Kam, Joost Guntenaar, Kors van Bennekom, Pieter Boersma, Ed van der Elsken, Hans Aarsman, Harry Meijer, Oscar van Alphen, Maya Pejic, René de Wit, Michel Pellanders, Theo Baart, Cary Markerink, Ferry André de la Porte, Nick Sinclair, Jannes Linders, André-Pierre Lamoth, Theo Bos, Hannes Wallrafen, Werry Crone, Reinier Gerritsen, Luuk Kramer, Roel Visser, Harrie Timmermans, Taco Anema, Bert Verhoeff, Koen Wessing, Catrien Ariëns, Céline van Balen, Stephan Vanfleteren, Mark Power, Eva Leitolf, Bart Sorgedrager, Morad Bouchakour, Janine Schrijver, Justin Jin, Jan van IJken, Geert van Kesteren, Raymond Wouda, Marnix Goossens, Ad van Denderen, Ilse Frech, Dana Lixenberg, Henk Wildschut, Hans van der Meer, Carel van Hees, Anoek Steketee, Stacii Samidin, Martijn van de Griendt, Sharelly Emanuelson and Mounir Raji.