August 1–14, 2016
Early deadline: May 15
Final deadline: June 30
SomoS Art House
Kottbusser Damm 95
10967 Berlin
Germany
As part of its 2016 Summer Academy, Berlin Art House SomoS presents the Encounter Photography Masterclass directed by internationally acclaimed photographer and educator Ari Versluis. It is inspired by Ari Versluis’ new “Encounter” photo series, which traces a new, layered and fragmented cultural “Über-Diversity,” emerging between the cracks of the ever-growing worldwide sameness of self- presentation.
About Ari Versluis
Ari Versluis is known for the series “Exactitudes,” made with profiler Ellie Uyttenbroek. Since 1994, they have extensively documented the shared dress codes of various social groups. They have been presented at venues such as 21_21 Design Site, Tokyo; Bozar, Brussels; Palazzo Incontro, Rome; MOCA, Taipei; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Musee d’art Contemporain, Marseille; and Dutch Photo Museum, Rotterdam.
Ari Versluis’ work is part of the permanent collections at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Eneco Art Collection, the Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio; Lavazza Art Collection, Milan. Next to the “Exactitudes,” Versluis has been working on other photographic projects, including fashion editorials, advertising campaigns, and the series “Encounters.” In 2010, an Encounter photography course was established for the Hyperlink Festival at Tate Modern in London which concentrated on fashion and identity.
Ari Versluis has held professorships at HKU University of the Arts, Utrecht; University of the Arts St. Joost, Breda; Willem de Kooning Academie, Rotterdam; Royal Academy of the Arts, The Hague. Guest Professorships include Merz Akademie, Stuttgart, Germany; Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, Zurich, Switzerland.
The artist has lectured at institutions such as: TU Delft, Design Faculty, The Netherlands; Design Academy Eindhoven, The Netherlands; The Photographers Gallery London; Dutch Embassy in France, Paris; Philip du Pury & Company, London; Architectural Association School of Architecture, London; IFF Rotterdam & Premsela – Dutch platform for Design & Fashion; Tate Modern, London; Gallery 12-14 Vienna.
His work has been published in Le Monde Magazine, NY magazine, The Independent, L’Uomo Vogue, Glamcult and recently Kaltblut Magazine Berlin.
Focus: The politics of street-casting and the practice of street photography in the broadest sense, including notions of identity, lifestyle, fashion, politics, activism, cultural and social transition.
Practice: The experience will guide participants to produce perceptive documentary photography, as well as enable staged photography shoots. For this purpose, a fully equipped professional photo studio covering 100 square meters is set up at SomoS Art House for the duration of the program. Individual advice will be given daily during the process, fueled by contextualizing theory. Participants will work in Berlin, which is unique in its subcultural vitality and diversity.
Theory: Personal guest lectures, Q&A’s, video sessions with leading creative minds from different fields: style chronicler Peter York; creative director Nicolas Santos (Dust and NOAH magazines), publisher Jessica Gysel (Girls Like Us magazine), lifestyle researcher/writer Adriano Sack, publishers Nicolas Simoneau & Marcel Schlutt (Kaltblut magazine) and visual artist/curator Charl Landvreugd. Legal and conceptual aspects of street photography/casting, critiques and support in project development will each be workshopped.
Goal: Participants will sharpen their awareness of street styles as a meaningful language, further their sense of cultural diversity, and hone their social, conceptual, and professional skills.
A final exhibition of the participants’ work created during the program will be held at SomoS exhibition space, and an accompanying catalog printed and distributed.
Apply: Rolling applications accepted.
Early deadline: May 15. Final deadline June 30.
Tuition: 1950,00 EUR (Early registration by May 15: 1850 EUR)
About SomoS
SomoS Art House provides space and resources for the presentation, reflection and production of the arts. Organizing an Artist-in-Residency program and an exhibition and event schedule, SomoS closely works with artists, organizers and curators to realize their projects. SomoS’ mission is to create an international open framework for innovative arts, exhibitions, education and creative cooperation. More information
