Joakim Eskildsen
dal 21/5/2015 al 30/1/2016
Segnalato da
21/5/2015
Joakim Eskildsen
The Royal Library, Copenhagen
A world I can believe in. The exhibition is based upon the seven books, Eskildsen has been working on since 1989. A selection of images are presented in large format along with sketch books video and other materials providing insights into the work process.
The National Museum of Photography presents a comprehensive exhibition, Joakim Eskildsen: A world I can believe in, of internationally recognized Danish photographer Joakim Eskildsen, introducing his full artistic oeuvre for the first time in Denmark.
The exhibition is based upon the seven books, Eskildsen has been working on since 1989. A selection of images are presented in large format along with sketch books, contact sheets, pre-proofing sheets, video and other materials providing insights into the work process. Joakim Eskildsen is a dedicated photographer, who works meticulously with every step of the process from photographing, copying and printing to the final design of the photographic book. To him, not only the photographic works meant for display are important, but more than everything the book itself is the back bone of his projects.
In a book, the artist can present his images without compromising in a series that allows for a narrative to unfold. Moreover, a book lives for a long time and reaches a larger audience than a single work of photographic art. Joakim Eskildsen is rooted in the tradition of classical documentary. His main subject is people and their surroundings which he becomes familiar with during long stays abroad. His images in the books together with the texts depict the communities in question both soberly and with respect.
His evocative photographs represent reality as Eskildsen wishes to see it: infused with immense sensual beauty. Eskildsen's unique sense of light and colour is evident already in his early works. So is the constant interest and commitment shown towards human beings and their relationship with nature and the surroundings, they live in:
"To me, it is essential to believe; in a better world, in mankind, and in that there is a sense with it all. There are so many problems in the world nowadays - poverty, illness, pollution, environmental disasters, war - that it requires discipline to be an optimist. I try to collect photographs of a world that I can believe in, which gives me hope, and moments of magic."
The monumental work The Roma Journeys (published by Steidl 2007) in which Eskildsen and the author Cia Rinne spent six years documenting life, conditions and history of the Romas in Hungary, Greece, India, Finland, France, Romania and Russia received international attention and won several prizes. The past years he has worked on the series American Realities, documenting people living below the poverty line in the US.
Eskildsen has worked on projects in Portugal, Cuba and South Africa as well but is currently working on Home Works, focusing on subjects closer to him: The homes and children of his own.
He often collaborates on projects with writer Cia Rinne, and his publications include Nordic Signs (1995), Bluetide (1997), iChickenMoon (1999), the portfolio al-Madina (2002, in collaboration with Kristoffer Albrecht and Pentti Sammallahti), and the book The Roma Journeys (Steidl 2007).
Joakim Eskildsen was born in Copenhagen in 1971 where he trained with Royal Court photographer, Mrs. Rigmor Mydtskov. In 1994, he moved to Finland to learn the craft of photographic book making with Jyrki Parantainen and Pentti Sammallahti at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki, where he published Nordtegn/Nordic Signs (1995) and graduated with an MA degree in photography in 1998.
Image: A photograph from the monumental work 'The Roma Journeys'
Opening: Friday 22 May 2015
The Royal Library
Copenhagen Danimarca
Postbox 2149