In co-production with the Grote Kerk Breda, this heart of the city hosted a site-specific solo exhibition by Rosângela Rennó. With his project Dreamland, Mounir Raji paid tribute to the Morocco of his dreams. Tina Farifteh took us on an immersive journey through video and light art with her project Tina in Sexbierum, sharing her search for a new home in this Frisian village by the Sedyk.
Sakir Khader, winner of the Silver Camera award, presented recent work focusing on the lives and struggles of the people in war-torn Palestine, where his deep personal connection to them is palpable. Thana Faroq, in How Shall We Greet The Sun, portrayed strong women who, like her, fled to the Netherlands and are navigating the challenges of building a new home. Omar Victor Diop, in his playful series Diaspora, stepped into the roles of historical African figures who lived in Europe and became part of its history.
Alongside these and many other professional photographers and artists, BredaPhoto also showcased emerging talents currently studying at ten European art academies.
For this edition, BredaPhoto engaged in several unique collaborations. Together with photography partner FOTODOK, the festival presented Grounding — Stories of Migration at the StadsGalerij. This group exhibition featured seven photographers working in the Netherlands, exploring the theme of first-generation migration and the process of settling in a new country.
In co-production with Oxfam Novib and the Pathshala South Asia Media Institute, BredaPhoto showcased Take Me to the River at ’t Zoet. This multimedia project takes us to the major rivers of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna (GBM) basins, which originate in the majestic Himalayas and flow into the vast Bay of Bengal. The project focuses on the stories of people living along these powerful rivers in Nepal and Bangladesh. These communities continuously learn from the river, benefiting from its resources while also adapting to the profound impacts of climate change.
The Ukrainian collective Ukrainian Photographies accepted the invitation to contribute to the theme Journeys. Three Ukrainian photographers presented a joint exhibition at ’t Zoet, depicting how the concept of “home” is transformed by the horrors of war in their country.
BredaPhoto is also proud of the participatory project In Getuigenis, created by theater maker Adelheid Roosen and visual artist Leendert Vooijce, together with 26 residents of Breda. Under the inspiring guidance of Roosen and Vooijce, this diverse group formed pairs to seek connection with “the other.” The results of their journey were showcased at the festival.
This edition of BredaPhoto was curated by an international artistic team. BredaPhoto is proud that Dr. Ileana Selejan and Mohamed Somji joined this edition as co-curators alongside Reinout van den Bergh, Astrid Hulsmann, and art director Jan Schaerlackens. Selejan is a curator, writer, and researcher, currently teaching at the Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh. Somji is a curator and the director of Gulf Photo Plus in Dubai.
The group exhibition Ukrainian Photographies was curated by Viktoria Bavykina and Max Gorbatskyi. For the project Take Me to the River, in collaboration with Oxfam Novib, Munem Wasif from the Pathshala South Asia Media Institute was involved as curator and advisor. Grounding — Stories of Migration was curated by Daria Tuminas, curator at FOTODOK in Utrecht.
Since July 1, 2023, BredaPhoto has been led by director Friso Wijnen. Essential to the festival are the more than 150 volunteers, some of whom have already started with the setup. Without volunteers, there is no BredaPhoto—it’s as simple as that.
