False Positives
The Right to be Forgotten
Structures
Traveling Salesman
A Practice
Audio Dérives
On Walking
Embossed Works
Windows
Smartlap (or Sorrow Cloth)
The Right to be Forgotten
Structures
Traveling Salesman
A Practice
Audio Dérives
On Walking
Embossed Works
Windows
Smartlap (or Sorrow Cloth)
The Glucksman
Foam
Public Space
Arti Amsterdam
Pinakothek Munich
ISCP - New York
NARS Foundation
Stroom
Natural Dyes
Images Vevey
Foam
Public Space
Arti Amsterdam
Pinakothek Munich
ISCP - New York
NARS Foundation
Stroom
Natural Dyes
Images Vevey
In her artistic practice, visual artist Esther Hovers investigates how power, politics and control are exercised through urban planning and the use of public space. She was trained as a photographer but creates installations in which photographs, drawings, text and film play an equal part.
Esther Hovers has exhibited at Aperture Foundation in New York City; Lianzhou Photo Festival in China; and Foam Photography Museum of Amsterdam, et al. Her work has been published in The New York Times; The Washington Post; M – Le Magazine du Monde and Wired, among other publications.
In 2017 she was the winner of the Edward Steichen Award. In 2019 Hovers was an artist-in-residence at NARS Foundation (The New York Art Residency and Studios) in Brooklyn, New York. In 2025 she will be an artist-in-residence at AGA LAB in Amsterdam.
She is based in the Hague, the Netherlands.
Several works on this website are generously supported by the Mondriaan Fund,
the public fund for visual art and cultural heritage in the Netherlands.
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Esther Hovers has exhibited at Aperture Foundation in New York City; Lianzhou Photo Festival in China; and Foam Photography Museum of Amsterdam, et al. Her work has been published in The New York Times; The Washington Post; M – Le Magazine du Monde and Wired, among other publications.
In 2017 she was the winner of the Edward Steichen Award. In 2019 Hovers was an artist-in-residence at NARS Foundation (The New York Art Residency and Studios) in Brooklyn, New York. In 2025 she will be an artist-in-residence at AGA LAB in Amsterdam.
She is based in the Hague, the Netherlands.
Several works on this website are generously supported by the Mondriaan Fund,
the public fund for visual art and cultural heritage in the Netherlands.
Selected Exhibitions
2025
The Art of Navigation
Fotocolectania, Barcelona (ES)
Opening 10/06/2025
2024
Walk this Way
Kunstmuseum Ravensburg (DE)
09/11/2024 - 23/02/2025
Are You Sure You Want to Delete It?
Kunsthaus NRW Kornelimünster, Aachen (DE)
27/04/2024 - 01/08/2024
Biennale Della Fotografia Femminile
Montova (IT)
08/03/2024 - 14/04/2024
2023
A Well-trained Eye
Visual Arts Center, University of Texas at Austin, (USA)
22/09/2023 - 02/03/2024
Harry Penningsprijs
Pennings Foundation, Eindhoven (NL)
06/05/2023 - 24/05/2023
The Right to be Forgotten (Solo)
Galerie BOHAI, Hannover (DE)
05/05/2023 – 28/05/2023
2022
Als Wäre Alles Für Immer
Kühlhaus Berlin (DE)
15/09/2022 - 01/10/2022
Festival Images Vevey
Château de l’Aile, Vevey (CH)
03/09/2022 - 25/09/2022
Data Streams
The Glucksman Art Museum, Cork (IE)
02/12/2021 - 13/03/2022
2021
Open Studios Nieuwmarkt
Amsterdam House of A&C (NL)
9 & 10/10/2021
Algorithmic Bias
[Senne], Brussels (BE)
30/09/2021 - 10/10/2021
ING: Resilience, A Personal Story
Kunsthal, Rotterdam (NL)
27/05/2021 - 19/09/2021
Track & Trace
Textile Museum, Kortrijk / Courtrai (BE)
13/03/2021 - 25/04/2021
Resistant Faces
Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich (DE)
27/11/2020 - 11/04/2021
2020
New Photography (Extended)
New Orleans Museum of Art (USA)
06/11/2020 - 06/06/2021
Mind Your Step
Zone2Source, Amstelpark Amsterdam (NL)
04/10/2020 - 29/11/2020
Public Space in times of Covid
Stroom, Den Haag (NL)
03/10/2020 - 01/11/2020
Vu.e de dos
Delta - Namur Art Center (BE)
23/09/2020 - 03/01/2021
Under Observation – Art of Retreat
Villa Merkel, Esslingen am Neckar (DE)
20/09/2020 - 15/11/2020
Nieuwe Ruimte(s)
Orange Art House, Brussels (BE)
03/09/2020 - 31/12/2020
Kutxa Kultur X Getxophoto
Tabakalera, San Sebastian (ES)
03/09/2020 - 27/09/2020
GETXOPHOTO Festival
Getxo, Basque Country (ES)
03/09/2020 - 27/09/2020
2019
Contrôle + Z
Centre d’Art GwinZegal (FR)
23/11/2019 - 23/02/2020
Lishui Photography Festival
Municipal Museum Lishui (CHN)
08/11/2019 - 12/11/2019
The Process Of Calculating One’s Position
NARS Foundation, Brooklyn, NY (USA)
15/11/2019 - 13/12/2019
SITUATIONS/Deviation
Fotomuseum Winterthur (CH)
18/10/2019 - 23/02/2020
Behind the Seen
NARS Foundation, Brooklyn, NY (USA)
30/08/2019 - 20/09/2019
Delirious Cities
Aperture Foundation, New York, NY (USA)
25/07/2019 - 29/08/2019
CONTACT Festival
Harbourfront Centre, Toronto (CA)
01/05/2019 - 31/05/2019
Journées Photographiques de Bienne
Bienne (CH)
10/05/2019 - 02/06/2019
YAA Zachtzinnig Radicaal
Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam (NL)
26/04/2019 - 26/05/2019
Prospects & Concepts
Mondriaan Fonds, Art Rotterdam (NL)
07/02/2019 - 10/02/2019
2018
Who’s In Control?
Fotodok, Utrecht (NL)
23/11/2018 - 24/02/2019
Lianzhou Foto
Foto Festival Lianzhou (CHN)
01/12/2018 - 03/01/2019
AE Festival
Postcity Linz (AT)
06/09 - 10/09/2018
Auckland Festival of Photography
At Fort Silo, Auckland (NZ)
31/05/2018 - 22/06/2018
Stadtansichten
Heidelberger Kunstverein
Heidelberg (DE)
05/05 - 08/07/2018
Krakow Photo Month
Bunkier Sztuki Gallery of Contemporary Art (PL)
25/05 - 24/06/2018
Screening
BASE Milano,
Milan Digital Week, (IT)
15/03/2018 - 18/03/2018
I Am Here to Learn
Frankfurter Kunstverein (DE)
15/02/2018 - 08/04/2018
2017
Foam Fusion
Foam, Photography Museum
Amsterdam (NL)
09/06/2017 - 11/06/2017
EMOP - Solo Show
Centre d'art Dominique Lang
Dudelange (LU)
06/05/2017 - 09/06/2017
Download exhibition text (FR)
Diffusion International Photography Festival
Unit 15
Cardiff Bay (UK)
01/05/2017 - 31/05/2017
Watched ! Surveillance Art & Photography
C/O Berlin Foundation (DE)
17/02/2017 - 23/04/2017
Perfect Storm
NRW-Forum Düsseldorf (DE)
02/02/2017 - 12/03/2017
Glut: Images, information and excess
Holden Gallery, Manchester (UK)
16/01/2017 - 03/03/2017
New Photography II
ALAN Gallery, Istanbul (TR)
05/01/2017 - 05/02/2017
2016
Installation by Alberto Sinigaglia & Esther Hovers
Curated by Luca Massaro
LDS Gallery, Reggio Emilia (IT)
October 2016
Fotopub
Novo Mesto (SI)
08/01/2016 - 08/06/2016
Le Voyage à Nantes 2016
Cale2, Nantes (FR)
01/07/2016 - 28/08/2016
RESET at Salone del Mobile
Milan (IT)
12/04/2016 - 17/04/2016
Circulation(s) 2016
Centquatre-Paris, Paris (FR)
26/03/2016 - 26/06/2016
Launch Exhibition E-Book
Tribew Publishing House, Paris (FR)
25/03/2016 - 08/04/2016
OpZicht
Stroom, The Hague (NL)
03/17/2016 - 05/02/2016
Startpoint Selection
Arti et Amicitiae , Amsterdam (NL)
06/02/2016 - 13/03/2016
Now or Never
GEM, The Hague (NL)
31/10/2015 - 17/01/2016
2015
Unseen Photo Fair, Amsterdam (NL)
Represented by Galerie Ron Mandos @ Kunsthal Citroën,
18/09/2015 - 26/10/2015
Startpoint Prize Exhibition
National Gallery, Prague (CZ)
29/09/2015 - 01/11/2015
Steenbergen Stipendium
Dutch Photo Museum, Rotterdam (NL)
26/09/2015 - 01/11/2015
Shared Space,
Punt WG, Amsterdam (NL)
19/09/2015 - 11/10/2015
Best of Graduates
Galerie Ron Mandos, Amsterdam (NL)
08/08/2015 - 29/08/2015
2025
The Art of Navigation
Fotocolectania, Barcelona (ES)
Opening 10/06/2025
2024
Walk this Way
Kunstmuseum Ravensburg (DE)
09/11/2024 - 23/02/2025
Are You Sure You Want to Delete It?
Kunsthaus NRW Kornelimünster, Aachen (DE)
27/04/2024 - 01/08/2024
Biennale Della Fotografia Femminile
Montova (IT)
08/03/2024 - 14/04/2024
2023
A Well-trained Eye
Visual Arts Center, University of Texas at Austin, (USA)
22/09/2023 - 02/03/2024
Harry Penningsprijs
Pennings Foundation, Eindhoven (NL)
06/05/2023 - 24/05/2023
The Right to be Forgotten (Solo)
Galerie BOHAI, Hannover (DE)
05/05/2023 – 28/05/2023
2022
Als Wäre Alles Für Immer
Kühlhaus Berlin (DE)
15/09/2022 - 01/10/2022
Festival Images Vevey
Château de l’Aile, Vevey (CH)
03/09/2022 - 25/09/2022
Data Streams
The Glucksman Art Museum, Cork (IE)
02/12/2021 - 13/03/2022
2021
Open Studios Nieuwmarkt
Amsterdam House of A&C (NL)
9 & 10/10/2021
Algorithmic Bias
[Senne], Brussels (BE)
30/09/2021 - 10/10/2021
ING: Resilience, A Personal Story
Kunsthal, Rotterdam (NL)
27/05/2021 - 19/09/2021
Track & Trace
Textile Museum, Kortrijk / Courtrai (BE)
13/03/2021 - 25/04/2021
Resistant Faces
Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich (DE)
27/11/2020 - 11/04/2021
2020
New Photography (Extended)
New Orleans Museum of Art (USA)
06/11/2020 - 06/06/2021
Mind Your Step
Zone2Source, Amstelpark Amsterdam (NL)
04/10/2020 - 29/11/2020
Public Space in times of Covid
Stroom, Den Haag (NL)
03/10/2020 - 01/11/2020
Vu.e de dos
Delta - Namur Art Center (BE)
23/09/2020 - 03/01/2021
Under Observation – Art of Retreat
Villa Merkel, Esslingen am Neckar (DE)
20/09/2020 - 15/11/2020
Nieuwe Ruimte(s)
Orange Art House, Brussels (BE)
03/09/2020 - 31/12/2020
Kutxa Kultur X Getxophoto
Tabakalera, San Sebastian (ES)
03/09/2020 - 27/09/2020
GETXOPHOTO Festival
Getxo, Basque Country (ES)
03/09/2020 - 27/09/2020
2019
Contrôle + Z
Centre d’Art GwinZegal (FR)
23/11/2019 - 23/02/2020
Lishui Photography Festival
Municipal Museum Lishui (CHN)
08/11/2019 - 12/11/2019
The Process Of Calculating One’s Position
NARS Foundation, Brooklyn, NY (USA)
15/11/2019 - 13/12/2019
SITUATIONS/Deviation
Fotomuseum Winterthur (CH)
18/10/2019 - 23/02/2020
Behind the Seen
NARS Foundation, Brooklyn, NY (USA)
30/08/2019 - 20/09/2019
Delirious Cities
Aperture Foundation, New York, NY (USA)
25/07/2019 - 29/08/2019
CONTACT Festival
Harbourfront Centre, Toronto (CA)
01/05/2019 - 31/05/2019
Journées Photographiques de Bienne
Bienne (CH)
10/05/2019 - 02/06/2019
YAA Zachtzinnig Radicaal
Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam (NL)
26/04/2019 - 26/05/2019
Prospects & Concepts
Mondriaan Fonds, Art Rotterdam (NL)
07/02/2019 - 10/02/2019
2018
Who’s In Control?
Fotodok, Utrecht (NL)
23/11/2018 - 24/02/2019
Lianzhou Foto
Foto Festival Lianzhou (CHN)
01/12/2018 - 03/01/2019
AE Festival
Postcity Linz (AT)
06/09 - 10/09/2018
Auckland Festival of Photography
At Fort Silo, Auckland (NZ)
31/05/2018 - 22/06/2018
Stadtansichten
Heidelberger Kunstverein
Heidelberg (DE)
05/05 - 08/07/2018
Krakow Photo Month
Bunkier Sztuki Gallery of Contemporary Art (PL)
25/05 - 24/06/2018
Screening
BASE Milano,
Milan Digital Week, (IT)
15/03/2018 - 18/03/2018
I Am Here to Learn
Frankfurter Kunstverein (DE)
15/02/2018 - 08/04/2018
2017
Foam Fusion
Foam, Photography Museum
Amsterdam (NL)
09/06/2017 - 11/06/2017
EMOP - Solo Show
Centre d'art Dominique Lang
Dudelange (LU)
06/05/2017 - 09/06/2017
Download exhibition text (FR)
Diffusion International Photography Festival
Unit 15
Cardiff Bay (UK)
01/05/2017 - 31/05/2017
Watched ! Surveillance Art & Photography
C/O Berlin Foundation (DE)
17/02/2017 - 23/04/2017
Perfect Storm
NRW-Forum Düsseldorf (DE)
02/02/2017 - 12/03/2017
Glut: Images, information and excess
Holden Gallery, Manchester (UK)
16/01/2017 - 03/03/2017
New Photography II
ALAN Gallery, Istanbul (TR)
05/01/2017 - 05/02/2017
2016
Installation by Alberto Sinigaglia & Esther Hovers
Curated by Luca Massaro
LDS Gallery, Reggio Emilia (IT)
October 2016
Fotopub
Novo Mesto (SI)
08/01/2016 - 08/06/2016
Le Voyage à Nantes 2016
Cale2, Nantes (FR)
01/07/2016 - 28/08/2016
RESET at Salone del Mobile
Milan (IT)
12/04/2016 - 17/04/2016
Circulation(s) 2016
Centquatre-Paris, Paris (FR)
26/03/2016 - 26/06/2016
Launch Exhibition E-Book
Tribew Publishing House, Paris (FR)
25/03/2016 - 08/04/2016
OpZicht
Stroom, The Hague (NL)
03/17/2016 - 05/02/2016
Startpoint Selection
Arti et Amicitiae , Amsterdam (NL)
06/02/2016 - 13/03/2016
Now or Never
GEM, The Hague (NL)
31/10/2015 - 17/01/2016
2015
Unseen Photo Fair, Amsterdam (NL)
Represented by Galerie Ron Mandos @ Kunsthal Citroën,
18/09/2015 - 26/10/2015
Startpoint Prize Exhibition
National Gallery, Prague (CZ)
29/09/2015 - 01/11/2015
Steenbergen Stipendium
Dutch Photo Museum, Rotterdam (NL)
26/09/2015 - 01/11/2015
Shared Space,
Punt WG, Amsterdam (NL)
19/09/2015 - 11/10/2015
Best of Graduates
Galerie Ron Mandos, Amsterdam (NL)
08/08/2015 - 29/08/2015
Selected Press & Publications
Monography: False Positives
Published by Fw:Books
InVisible Culture, Rochester University NY
The New York Times (USA)
BE Magazine (DE)
Libération (FR)
Raw View (FI)
M, Le Magazine du Monde (FR)
The Washington Post (USA)
Pagina99 (IT)
Lens Culture
POP Kultur und Kritik (DE)
Wired.com (USA)
British Journal of Photography (UK)
YET Magazine (CH)
Courrier International (FR)
DazedDigital (USA)
De Correspondent (NL)
NRC Next (NL)
Awards & Residencies
2025
Artist-in-residence at AGA LAB, Amsterdam (NL) forthcoming
2023
Nominee, Kunststiftung DZ Bank Scholarship (DE)
Nominee, Harry Penningsprijs (NL)
Mondriaan Fund, Art Grant (NL)
2022
Nominee, Gabriele Basilico Prize in Architecture and Landscape Photography (IT)
2021
Nominee, ING Photography Award (NL)
Shortlisted, Grand Prix Images Vevey (CH)
2020
Nominee, FOAM Paul Huf Award (NL)
Nominee, Gabriele Basilico Prize in Architecture and Landscape Photography (IT)
2019
Artist-in-Residence at NARS Foundation, Brooklyn, NY (USA)
Nominee, FOAM Paul Huf Award (NL)
Mondriaan Fund, Art Grant (NL)
2018
Nominee, Paris Photo - Aperture Foundation, First Photo Book Award (USA/FR)
Artist-in-Residence at ISCP Brooklyn, New York (USA)
Nominee, FOAM Paul Huf Award (NL)
2017
Winner, Edward Steichen Award 2017 (LU)
Stroom, Den Haag, Artistic Grant (NL)
Mondriaan Fund, Artist Grant (NL)
2016
Artist-in-Residence at Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin (DE)
Young Art Fund Amsterdam (NL)
2015
Winner, Startpoint Prize, National Gallery, Prague (CZ)
Winner, Steenbergen Stipend, Dutch Photo Museum, Rotterdam (NL)
Winner, Le Prix Tribew, Circulation(s), Tribew Publishing, Paris (FR)
Winner, Best of Graduates Photo Talent 2015, Galerie Ron Mandos, Amsterdam (NL)
'False Positives' - Shortlisted Unseen Dummy Award, Unseen (NL)
Winner, Photography Department Award, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (NL)
Monography: False Positives
Published by Fw:Books
InVisible Culture, Rochester University NY
The New York Times (USA)
BE Magazine (DE)
Libération (FR)
Raw View (FI)
M, Le Magazine du Monde (FR)
The Washington Post (USA)
Pagina99 (IT)
Lens Culture
POP Kultur und Kritik (DE)
Wired.com (USA)
British Journal of Photography (UK)
YET Magazine (CH)
Courrier International (FR)
DazedDigital (USA)
De Correspondent (NL)
NRC Next (NL)
Awards & Residencies
2025
Artist-in-residence at AGA LAB, Amsterdam (NL) forthcoming
2023
Nominee, Kunststiftung DZ Bank Scholarship (DE)
Nominee, Harry Penningsprijs (NL)
Mondriaan Fund, Art Grant (NL)
2022
Nominee, Gabriele Basilico Prize in Architecture and Landscape Photography (IT)
2021
Nominee, ING Photography Award (NL)
Shortlisted, Grand Prix Images Vevey (CH)
2020
Nominee, FOAM Paul Huf Award (NL)
Nominee, Gabriele Basilico Prize in Architecture and Landscape Photography (IT)
2019
Artist-in-Residence at NARS Foundation, Brooklyn, NY (USA)
Nominee, FOAM Paul Huf Award (NL)
Mondriaan Fund, Art Grant (NL)
2018
Nominee, Paris Photo - Aperture Foundation, First Photo Book Award (USA/FR)
Artist-in-Residence at ISCP Brooklyn, New York (USA)
Nominee, FOAM Paul Huf Award (NL)
2017
Winner, Edward Steichen Award 2017 (LU)
Stroom, Den Haag, Artistic Grant (NL)
Mondriaan Fund, Artist Grant (NL)
2016
Artist-in-Residence at Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin (DE)
Young Art Fund Amsterdam (NL)
2015
Winner, Startpoint Prize, National Gallery, Prague (CZ)
Winner, Steenbergen Stipend, Dutch Photo Museum, Rotterdam (NL)
Winner, Le Prix Tribew, Circulation(s), Tribew Publishing, Paris (FR)
Winner, Best of Graduates Photo Talent 2015, Galerie Ron Mandos, Amsterdam (NL)
'False Positives' - Shortlisted Unseen Dummy Award, Unseen (NL)
Winner, Photography Department Award, Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (NL)
–
Unless otherwise stated, this website and all content within this site are the property of
Esther Hovers and are protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws.
© 2019 Esther Hovers – www.estherhovers.com