During the festival the Groningen Museum is presenting a large selection from its own photography collection. Under the title 'Eye to Eye' work by international celebrities such as Anton Corbijn, Erwin Olaf and Diane Arbus is being shown, often in life-size format.

Since the much talked-about exhibition 'Photography Buffa: Staged Photography in The Netherlands' in 1986, the Groningen Museum has shown and purchased photography with great regularity. For example, over the past two decades we have devoted attention to advertising, fashion and glamour photography, with exhibitions of by now world-famous Dutch photographers as Anton Corbijn and the duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. Another line in the collection is formed by the work of American photographers, particularly those who concentrate on the seedy margins of society, such as Andres Serrano and Larry Clark.

'Eye to Eye' is curated by Mark Wilson and Ruud Schenk. In order to show the multiple facets of the collection, they have also bestowed attention on the melancholy staged images of Teun Hocks, with their double meanings, the exuberant photography of Erwin Olaf, and the internationally oriented work of the young fashion and portrait photographers Anuschka Blommers and Niels Schumm. Cornelie Tollens is represented with her erotic photos, Carli Hermès with polished advertising photography, and Micha Klein with his panoramic computer animations, inspired by the party culture.

The exhibition is completed with the work of the 'precursors' of many of the photographers named, such as the celebrity photographers Angus McBean and Paul Huf, and the more socially engaged Diane Arbus. Considering that people are the central focus of the photo collection at the Groningen Museum, in 'Eye to Eye' the emphasis is on portraits and staged self-portraits. Thus there is also work by visual artists who appear in their own work by means of photography, like Gilbert & George, the pair Ulay and Abramoviç, Luigi Ontani and Milan Kunc. Many of the photographs in the exhibition are printed in large format, which can sometimes lead to an almost physical confrontation.

Participating photographers: Diane Arbus, Paul Blanca, Anuschka Blommers & Niels Schumm, Larry Clark, Anton Corbijn, Rineke Dijkstra, Gilbert & George, Anthony Goicolea, Carli Hermès, Teun Hocks, Paul Huf, Martin Kippenberger, Micha Klein, Jeff Koons, Milan Kunc, Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin, Zoe Leonard, Hans van Manen, Angus McBean, Emiel van Moerkerken, Pierre Molinier, Erwin Olaf, Luigi Ontani, Catherine Opie, Sanne Sannes, Andres Serrano, Cornelie Tollens, Ulay & Abramoviç, Gus Van Sant.

Groningen Museum
Museumeiland 1
www.groningermuseum.nl
17 September thru 4 December
Tues. thru Sun. 10:00 - 17:00

Admission: 8,00 euro
Children through 5: free
Children 6 through 11: 2,00 euro
12 through 16: 4,00 euro
School groups, p.p.: 1,50 euro
CJP/students/65+/groups of 10 or more: 7,00 euro
NS discount card with MJK logo: 4,00 euro
Museumjaarkaart/Friends of the Groningen Museum/Stadjerspas: free

Discount action
During the festival, on display of an entrance ticket for Traces & Omens the Groningen Museum will give a discount of 3,00 euro on its admission fee and a 5,00 euro discount on the 'Traces & Omens' catalog if purchased in the Museum book shop.

Nota Bene: unfortunately the planned photographers' conversation on September 17th has been cancelled