Somfy Photography Award - Fotomuseum aan het Vrijthof
In the photographic installation I made for the Somfy Photography Award the visitor became part of my created world. The real and constructed world come next to and at the same time opposite of each other. Besides two images where I reacted on the exhibition space of the museum I had also incorporated the gallery space. By lighting the space and painting the walls I used the space as if it was my 2 dimensional paper collage. Where does the wall and floor end and her work begin? The sun and skies become part of the small inside world of the museum.
Can a spotlight to sharp to look in and sky-coloured walls and floors bring the outside world inside? What does this do to our perception and experience of the inner world? How does our fantasy relate to reality?
Popel Coumou has a strong, unique and own style. She creates a new world with her work. An outsider who pushes boundaries. She literally and figuratively plays with the light and translates this into a special, three-dimensional installation where you as a visitor have to walk in and out of a few times to understand it. As a spectator you will be surprised. She makes it difficult for herself to translate what is in her head, into practice. During the creation process, she bravely and positively looked for solutions to overcome all sorts of practical obstacles. An eager to learn, hard worker. The jury expresses the wish that by obtaining this second prize, she will continue to link for further design of three-dimensional space in which is played with light. With her signature she adds something to contemporary photography. A new vision.
The other 8 nominated candidates on show at Fotmuseum aan het Vrijthof were:
Jérémy De Backer (FR), Nathalie Daoust (CAN), Chantal Heijnen (NL), Viktor Hübner (DE), Bas Losekoot (NL), Petra Noordkamp (NL) en Fab Rideti (FR).