Theme for Guest Room

Guest Room aims to inspire collaboration and creative exchange. In this edition, Iris Sikking, curator of photography at Fotomuseum Den Haag, partners with Fleurie Kloostra, curator at Melkweg Expo - an exhibition space dedicated to contemporary photography and a platform for emerging artists in the heart of Amsterdam.

Together, they introduce the theme for your submissions:

Dynamic Perspective

“The times we live in today (the current zeitgeist) require an open and constantly evolving perspective in order to create positive change. Only then can we gain valuable insights into different points of view and truly connect. Isn't the strength of a civilization found purely in respect and empathy for people, nature and non-living entities?

Photography plays a crucial role in this process of recognition. By shifting perspectives, we see things differently; in fact, it forms the heart of the medium. A photographer allows us to see from a viewpoint we might never have considered before. The dynamic of perspective also has to do with the relationship of the photographer to the subject. Who brings what into the picture and from what angle? Is it not precisely photography that makes itself indispensable by bringing all these perspectives together to form a view of reality?

And last but not the least: a dynamic perspective could also function as a tool for a more exciting everyday life! Having said this, we are looking for photographic work that embodies openness towards people, nature and non-living entities, demonstrates awareness of one's own position as a photographer or simply ‘plays’ with a dynamic perspective.”

Why submit to Guest Room?

• Be discovered by an expert in contemporary art and photography
• Get published in an online showcase on Der Greif alongside emerging artists from all over the world
• Submit for free or pay a voluntary donation of 10€
• Please note: Images which have been selected for a previous Der Greif opportunity are not eligible for re-submission. We want to support the broadest range of photographers possible and therefore encourage you to submit work that has not yet been selected by our past Guest Curators. Any images which do not comply with these terms will be removed from the selection process.

Voluntary donation

Der Greif is a registered non-profit. In these challenging economic times – especially for arts organizations and artists – we are convinced to provide a vital platform for our community. If you're in the position to support this mission, we value your support.

Since launching Guest Room in January 2015, we've invited a broad range of professionals (gallerists, editors, curators) to create opportunities for artists to share their work and get it in front of an international network they might not have access to otherwise. We are more commited than ever to continue this work.

We suggest a voluntary 10€ donation to help us sustain these efforts. If you'd like to support us further, we also accept regular donations via our Raisely page.

If you're unable to contribute financially, please email voucher-guestroom-2@dergreif.org to receive a 50% or 100% discount code. Your artistic and financial contributions enable our continued growth.

About Iris Sikking

Iris Sikking is curator of photography at the Fotomuseum Den Haag, where she is responsible for the exhibition program and the museum's photography collection. Recently she collaborated with Lisa Barnard, Boris Mikhailov, Randa Mirza and Marleen Sleeuwits. In 2022, she was guest curator of the Biennale für aktuelle Fotografie (Germany) in which she focused on the entangled relationship between humans, the environment and technology. She co-edited the volume “Why Exhibit? vol. 2 On Curating Photography” (Fw:books, 2024) shedding light on pressing matters surrounding the medium of photography.

The Fotomuseum Den Haag

The Fotomuseum Den Haag presents eight exhibitions each year, where established names and contemporary photographers are shown alternately in three adjacent exhibition spaces. The international programs offer solo presentations of important makers whose work has not previously been displayed as large monographic exhibitions in the Netherlands, such as Rob Hornstra, Chris Killip and Judith Joy Ross. Alongside the program consists of thematically driven shows with societal and historical reflections on the medium of photography, such as “Parents” with portraits taken by photographers of their parents and “I am so happy you are here”, an overview of the work of Japanese female photographers from the 1950’s to the present. Another recurring pillar in the exhibition program is the focus on complex current themes such as the representation of the climate crisis by the Indian Arko Datto and the concealed lobbying process on the formation of climate policy in the European Union by Suzanne Schols.

The program highlights artists who experiment with the medium of photography itself, such as Paul Kooiker and Dirk Braeckmann, and at the same time gives way to artists who use a wide variety of photographic and audiovisual formats in presenting their work like Laura Hospes on the mental well-being of young women and Lisa Barnard on the role of gold in our capitalist society. In addition, the Fotomuseum aims to enable photographers to produce new work, in the past with Popel Coumou and recently with the Hague based artist Marleen Sleeuwits. Through this broad approach (local, national and international; classical, contemporary and experimental) the museum is popular among a vast audience, students and the press.

About Fleurie Kloostra

Fleurie Kloostra is a curator at Melkweg Expo, is an exhibition space for contemporary photography and a platform for emerging artists, located in the heart of Amsterdam. With a focus on photography that explores identity, society and pop culture. Next to working at Melkweg Expo, Fleurie Kloostra is often solicited as a jury member or portfolio reviewer, and teaches at art academies, private institutes, talent programs and shares her vision and work method with secondary school students. As a curator, she feels it is her role to act as an intermediary between an artist and the audience.

Melkweg Expo

"Melkweg Expo offers programs throughout the year that highlight themes such as equality, gender identity, and sexuality. It collaborates with various organizations and supports emerging artists. This program creates accessible encounters with important social issues and makes an impact by giving a voice to subcultures and communities that are not sufficiently heard."

Characterized by a distinctly playful and accessible approach, Melkweg Expo seeks to unveil high quality art – art that is innovative, engaging and inclusive. Melkweg Expo’s main goal is to promote emerging talent and present them to a broad audience – from admirers of art, photography addicts, art students and self-taught artists, to the casual passers-by of the venue’s central location and music lovers surfacing from the crowd of a Melkweg concert. Melkweg Expo is open later than most exhibition spaces to make spontaneous encounters and confrontations with art possible.

With the help of local and international allies, Melkweg Expo presents a unique and largely free programme made up of at least six exhibitions annually, a multidisciplinary festival, educational events, portfolio reviews, enlightening talks, screenings, numerous easy-going gatherings and fabulous opening events.

About Der Greif Guest Room

Guest Room is a monthly online exhibition with open submissions curated in real-time by personalities from the international photography scene. Der Greif is an award-winning organization for contemporary photography. It is print-publication, online-publication, curatorial team and joint project all at once. Der Greif connects the digital and the analogue, exploring and expanding the borders and limits of image-distribution and -reception in the digital era.