Current takeover: #149 Florian Braakman

Let’s get connected! Florian Braakman, who graduated from the Royal Art Academy of The Hague in 2013, sees art as a way to connect with people, to bridge cultural and other differences. Florian has almost fully fused with the medium of photography. His work is truly intertwined with his daily life. Through photography he observes and captures the world around us, social interactions, people, the mundane and the beauty. Photography is the way to express himself and the things that concern him.

“There is too little contact between people, we know too little about each other. In my work I try to be as open minded and unprejudiced as possible. For that you need an open and vulnerable attitude. Through my work I try to talk about a multitude of things with the people I work with. To overcome differences, I think art can be a way to bring people together and to cross that bridge. It allows and enables us to share different perspectives.”

His art process flows organically and by coincidence. During walks in his neighborhood of Delfshaven, Rotterdam, he observes and comes into contact with many individuals who are a part of the community. The community is a big part of his work as many projects originate from here.

Florian explores themes such as migration, street culture and family. Throughout his work, he expresses these from his personal perspective and from the personal perspectives of the people he portrays.

“I try to give the themes I work with a personal face, a world beyond the stereotypes. I want to give a nuance and a personal translation.The world is not as black and white as it seems, there are always multiple sides to a story.”

Beauty and humor are great forces in his work. His photography may evoke questions and amazement. With childlike wonder, they reflect an abstraction of reality, and at the same time a certain universality. His documentation shows us the traces that tell something about the time in which we live.

This Take Over will be a visual journey through the past years with a view to the future.

“We live in such a segregated and individualistic world. But, don’t be afraid, be curious.

Let's look at what brings us together as humans, instead of what divides us. It makes life so much more interesting and fun. We have so much to learn from each other.”

#149 (08/02 - 12/02 2021): written by Anisa Demirci and Cheyenne Pattiwaël

Florian Braakman: Instagram/Website

_Rizoom

Current takeover: #149 Florian Braakman

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