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Document Nederland

Tina Farifteh Photographs Asylum

The subject of asylum is in the news almost every day. All sorts of people are talking about it: from politicians, media commentators and human rights and aid organisations to members of the public who take one side or another. For Document Nederland, the Rijksmuseum’s annual photographic commission, the artist Tina Farifteh documents the Dutch asylum system.

Exhibition

The central figure in her exhibition is a man identified only by his initial: B. Following more than four months in immigration detention at Schiphol Airport and a stay in Ter Apel asylum reception centre, B. is now in the midst of an asylum procedure. By positioning him as the narrator, she reverses the gaze on our asylum procedures: Instead of talking about asylum seekers, she literally has us listen to one of them. In doing so, Farifteh holds up a mirror to the visitor. This exhibition is not about ‘them,’ but us.

B.’s words and gaze hold up a mirror to us, lending meaning to the photographs of the bleak and often hostile architecture of the Dutch asylum system. How is it that a system once designed to protect people in need has become capable of inflicting harm?

Tina Farifteh

TINA FARIFTEH

Tina Farifteh is a photographer, filmmaker and visual artist whose work explores the impact of power structures on the lives of ordinary people. Her earlier works include the audiovisual installation The Flood (2021) and the short documentary Kitten or Refugee? (2023), for which she won the 2024 Silver Camera for Storytelling.

DOCUMENT NEDERLAND JUNIOR

Alongside Document Nederland, the Rijksmuseum’s photography gallery is presenting Document Nederland Junior, the annual photographic competition and display for students in secondary and vocational education. The competition shares its theme with the main commission. For each edition, ten young photographers are selected to take part in a masterclass, given this year by Tina Farifteh and experts from the Rijksmuseum. Their photographs will be on display in the second room of the photography gallery.

50 YEARS OF DOCUMENT NEDERLAND

The Rijksmuseum has been awarding the annual Document Nederland photography commission since 1975. Each year, a theme is selected for the commission that is relevant, emblematic and significant for society.

THANKS

The exhibition is made possible in part by the Floor Fund/Rijksmuseum Fund, the Familie Van Ogtrop Fund/Rijksmuseum Fund and Rijksmuseum NEXT.

1 November to 11 January
Photogallery

PRICE

  • Adults €22,50
  • Free for 18 and under
  • Free for Friends

For individuals and groups with a refugee or asylum status, there are opportunities to visit the museum free of charge. Please contact educatie@rijksmuseum.nl at least three weeks in advance to discuss the options.

ACCESSIBILITY

The Photography Gallery is a dark space featuring moving images and sound. There is a big difference between the bright Atrium and the dark gallery. As a result, the presentation may be less suitable for visitors who are blind or have low vision and/or for those who are sensitive to changes in light, moving images, or sound.

Document Nederland 2026

00:51 - Tina Farifteh

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Impression

50 YEARS DOCNL

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