False Positives – 2016




The project False Positives is about intelligent surveillance systems. These are camera’s that are said to be able to detect deviant behaviour within public space. False Positives is set around the question of normative behaviour. It aims to raise this question by basing the project on eight different ‘anomalies’. 
These so called anomalies are sign in body-language and movement that could indicate criminal intent. It is through these anomalies the algorithms are built and cameras are able to detect deviant behaviour. The eight different anomalies were pointed out to me by several intelligent surveillance experts with whom I collaborated for this project.









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




The Right to be Forgotten
Selected Works



I am reproducing a Google-found portrait of the first man to successfully claim his ‘Right to be Forgotten’ in the European Court of Justice. His successful lawsuit made his quest to be forgotten very memorable. I look for reproduction techniques that simultaneously show and alter his portrait. The internet does not forget and so we are faced with ever-growing personal archives online. For this body of work I use photographic reproduction as a means to reflect on endless circulation; the resilience of the image.








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.


© 2021 Esther Hovers – www.estherhovers.com




False Positives
Published by Fw:books


False Positives,
2017



False Positives
Published by Fw:Books

Accordion in hardcover
2017
48 pages
24 x 34 cm
Edition of 500
ISBN 978-94-90119-57-7
Sold Out
Design: Hans Gremmen
Text: Sophie Wright

Shortlisted for the Paris Photo / Aperture Foundation First Photo Book Award 2018.
























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




Traveling Salesman
Selected Works



Traveling Salesman is based on the simple idea of a narrative about a walk. The story is about a traveling salesman. This idea is taken from a mathematical problem called ‘The Traveling Salesman Problem’. This problem asks the following question:

‘What is the shortest route through a list of cities in which you visit each city exactly once and return to the starting city?’

We might call it a mathematical problem about movement. Contrary to the simplicity of the question, this is in fact, a notoriously difficult problem to solve. The more places one has to visit, the harder it becomes to predict the shortest route. As of yet, there is no algorithm that can predict a completely optimal solution to this problem.

In an age where there is a pervasive need for everything to be controlled and quantified, I use the city as a metaphor for the unpredictable. My aim is to create tension between the predictability of the route and the unpredictability of the city itself. Ask yourself; is a routed walk ever the same on two different days?

Apart from photography I use different  visual approaches. The final work is a collection of photographs, screenprints, and image transfers. Through my work I reflect on (intangible) power structures in public space. To what extent are our movements determined by the architecture, surveillance and norms of this space?
My interest is in using poetry to look at technology – so that we might relate to it on a more human level.








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




Smartlap (or Sorrow Cloth) – 2023


‘Smartlap’ in Dutch literally translates to ‘Sorrow Cloth’ and is a term used to describe folk music, namely life-songs. This musical term implies a reference to embroidered cloths to decorate the home. While requiring hours of manual labour and skill, these works were often regarded as decoration rather than art. In a time saturated with industrial perfection and mass production, I find myself fascinated by the time and patience that embroidery requires. Therefore, I set about creating my personal take on a ‘smartlap’.





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.

© 2023 Esther Hovers – www.estherhovers.com









Installation Views
Selected Exhibitions


The Right To Be Forgotten,
Mixed Media, Sizes Variable,
Kunsthal, Rotterdam (NL), 2021.





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




Installation Views
Selected Exhibitions


False Positives, 2017, Foam,
Photography Museum of Amsterdam,
mixed media, dimensions variable.










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




Installation Views
Selected Exhibitions


Other Stops: Hôtel de Ville / Bir Hakeim / Luxembourg / Jaurès / La Chapelle / Pont de Neuilly / Opéra / Cité / Saint-Augustin / La Motte-Piquet-Grenelle













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





Installation Views
Selected Exhibitions



Structures (2016 – 2019),
Mixed Media, Sizes Variable,
At Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam, NL
2019



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




Installation Views
Selected Exhibitions


False Positives,
Resistant Faces, Group Exhibition, 2021,
Mixed media, dimensions variable,
Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich (DE).





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




British Journal of Photography
Weird Science - Issue 7846
Text by Sophie Wright, April 2016







Standing still, fast movements, repeatedly looking back over your shoulders - these are three of eight ‘anomalies’ classified as deviant behaviour by surveillance cameras. Though normally used to recognise and prevent criminal activity, Esther Hovers, a recent graduate from the Royal Academy of Art in the Hague, explores these technologies to question what constitutes normal behaviour and examine our relationship with public security. Hovers’ graduation project False Positives (a term used to describe an unfounded alert based on visuals gathered by the surveillance camera), arose from her fascination with the relationship between people and public spaces. The idea came while doing an internship in Paris; she was struck by the rigid organisation and heavy surveillance presence in the business district, La Défense. “Everyone wears suits and has a strict dress code and way of moving. It wasn’t only the architecture, but also the way people seem to behave there,” she comments. Having researched surveillance systems, she approached several experts, interested in the combination of technology and psychology. During these interviews, she was told about the eight anomalies that formed the basis of her work.

The crux was devising a way to visualise a complex idea, usually discussed in dense PhD publications, without focusing too much on the cameras themselves. Hovers decided to shoot in the financial an political district of Brussels, not just because of its symbolic representation of Europe, but also because of its different perspectives. Appropriating the visual language of the surveillance camera and its elevated position, she started to look for examples of the eight anomalies from different viewpoints. After trying out several approaches using single images, Hovers decided to layer the photographs to create montages where several examples of the anomalies could be spotted.

The layering of photographs almost echoes the way the anomalies were created. Through a process dubbed ‘machine learning’, the surveillance system is fed a multitude of examples so it can develop a pattern of normal and deviant behaviour. “After a few minutes you can see a pattern, which is really important in the algorithm,” explains Hovers. By recording anomalies that she saw and sometimes asking people to step into position, the montages gather several examples of body language that is classed as deviant.
The project is drawn together in a publication made up of photographs, drawings and text. Keen to provide viewers with context, each anomaly is introduced with a simple drawing in black pen on graph paper, which Hovers says illustrates “how structured this way of thinking is”. The photographs invite viewers to question on what is or isn’t ‘normal’ behaviour.



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




The Washington Post What Crime Looks Like Before It Happens
Text by Ana Swanson, February 9 2016






Stopping criminal activity before it happens is usually the domain of science fiction – as in “Minority Report,” where police officers in 2054 use the ability to see into the future to catch murderers before they kill. But some security experts believe a version of that future is much closer than 2054.
Increasingly, smart surveillance cameras are monitoring public places in search of suspicious cues, a high-tech version of “if you see something, say something.” By reviewing massive volumes of ordinary surveillance tape, algorithms can “learn” what type of behavior is typical right before a crime or terrorist attack is committed – like a person suddenly breaking into a run or abandoning a suitcase on a subway platform – and alert authorities.
Esther Hovers, a photographer, captures some examples of the seemingly deviant behavior that these cameras pick up in a photo exhibition called “False Positives.” These photographs, which Hovers took in Brussels, the de facto capital of Europe, are montages, partially natural and partially staged, which Hovers created by combining images from several minutes of video.
If some of these behaviors seem relatively innocuous, that is partly Hovers' point. While smart cameras offer big benefits in security, they also increase surveillance of behavior that is slightly unusual, but not criminal in any way. Like many new technologies, smart surveillance systems may contain worrying consequences for privacy and public freedom.
For one, these cameras currently make a lot of mistakes. Hovers says that nine out of 10 alerts that these systems issue today are “false positives” – what the industry calls false alarms.
Part of it is that algorithms are much worse than humans at recognizing context, says Hovers. For example, a smart surveillance system might alert authorities if foot traffic on a street reaches much higher volumes than normal – but a human would be able to figure out that the cause is a newly opened market, or a town festival.
Hovers says her project is more about future possibilities than the current state of security, since the vast majority of cameras in use today are not yet smart cameras. But Washington, Boston, Chicago, Amsterdam and other cities have begun testing out smart surveillance technology.
While everyone wants security, Hovers says she is concerned about the kind of judgments this system imposes on a society, and whether it would restrain some types of "abnormal" public expression -- of which art could be considered one.
“Not every type of deviant behavior is criminal behavior, and I’m happy about that, actually,” she says.



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




Lens Culture
Beyond the Visible: The Hidden Structures of the Street
Text by Sophie Wright, March 2019






From intelligent surveillance technology to figuring out the best route for our day, Esther Hovers forges new visual languages to investigate how our movements through public space are shaped and structured by hidden forces.

The way we move through public space has radically changed in the past decade. Though we may still feel like just another face in the crowd as we charge the streets, getting on with our daily business, our journeys are now tracked, traced, analyzed and logged. Living in the age of surveillance, we are no longer anonymous; we are always identifiable. The rapid rise of the technology that now pervades our daily lives happened quickly and fairly invisibly. What happened during this leap? How does this ‘new normal’ challenge social practices like privacy? How can you visualize the vastly complex structures that shape our behaviour and movement?

Fascinated by the gap between technology and our understanding of it, Esther Hovers’ work finds a way to visually bridge this space, questioning the ways it is changing our society and involving us as viewers in the process. A street photographer of sorts, her projects start from observing public space and the hidden forces that shape how we decide to move through it. In False Positives, she investigates intelligent surveillance technology. Through a process of ‘machine learning’, these systems are fed a multitude of example so that they can develop a pattern of normal and deviant behaviour. Adopting the disembodied eye of a surveillance camera, Hovers plays on eight ‘anomalies’ of body language and movement that indicate criminal intent. In doing so, she questions what constitutes ‘normal’ behaviour and explores our developing relationship to public security. In her work-in- progress, The Traveling Salesman, she takes a mathematical problem as the starting point to make a poetic drift through the streets of New York.

In this interview with LensCulture, Hovers talks about finding ways to visually translate the abstract systems that have seamlessly become part of our daily lives, the importance of research in her process, and redefining the limitations of street photography.

LC: Your approach to the street is quite a conceptual one. Your previous project False Positives looked at intelligent surveillance systems made to detect deviant behaviour in public space and the way it, often invisibly, shapes our behavior. Do you call yourself a street photographer?

EH: In my work, it’s not necessarily about the visible structure of the street, but the invisible power structures in public space. It’s about the question of how architecture somehow determines our movement and is used as an expression of power. The street is so present in this process. It seems weird to go out of my way to not call myself a street photographer. If you want street photography to be something that can be redefined, then why not?

LC: Have you been influenced by the street genre, or any of the greats of street photography in any way?

EH: Not so much. For me, the first person that comes to mind is Paul Graham. A Shimmer of Possibility was like my bible, and he was very much influenced by traditional street photography. The title and the way he finds beauty in these little things, and unpredictability in everyday life, fascinates me. His images are about the idea of street photography and the street itself as something going on around you, and the way that you can play or interact with that is very strong in the work.

LC: What was your first encounter with the street in your work? What drew you there?

EH: A lot of it has to do with the relationship between people, body language and architecture. But in the beginning, I went about photographing it in a strictly documentary and very observational way. At school, I would go out and photograph for my assignments, but more so with this ‘hunter’ approach, pacing around, trying to find something. I still love to do that, but it’s not so present in my work anymore.

LC: You were working in La Défense, the business district of Paris, when you first had the idea for False Positives. Tell me about how it started. When did you start developing a different, more conceptual approach?

EH: I started to manipulate my images. They would be based on observation, but I began to take things out or put things into the image. I started using a tripod and a fixed frame, and then I just waited for people to pass by and photographed them. Then, I would layer and stack the images into a montage. When I did that in La Défense, it was not necessarily with a conceptual idea behind it, but just to try it out.

LC: Let’s talk a bit about your working process for False Positives. Do you start from observations or ideas? How do they evolve?

EH: I start from observation. It’s hard to pinpoint (for any project) when this translation comes into play, but I think it came through a series of interviews that I did with different people working on intelligent surveillance cameras in Holland. They told me they would search for ‘anomalies in human behaviour that could indicate criminal intent by looking at patterns of movement. So I knew that an anomaly is something you can actually visualize—that it is a pattern.

That’s when I started thinking about how to visualize these patterns myself. I came back to this image in La Défense, which was a series of moments put together: a pattern of movement. There are a lot of different levels and heights there, so a lot of my photographs started looking like surveillance images. When I came back to Holland, I read a small article in a newspaper about intelligent surveillance systems being installed in bathrooms, and how an alarm would go off if people stayed in the toilet for too long. It made me think about how these systems work, and I also saw an opportunity to combine looking at both behaviour and movement in architecture and public space.

LC: You also collaborate with a lot of other specialists and thinkers in your work. Can you tell me a bit about how your research on intelligent surveillance technology shaped your approach to shooting?

EH: I’m interested in the idea of not understanding the technology that is so important to us in everyday life. I wanted to try and make it less abstract, and find a more poetic and human way of talking about these technologies. I definitely benefit from looking at different fields and disciplines when visually translating these connections—like the patterns in thinking about algorithms. The art world can be a very closed place. A lot of my references and inspirations definitely come from there, but it’s also a breath of fresh air to open up.

LC: When you’re dealing with the more hidden relations of public space, it’s important—and almost necessary—to lean on other forms of research.

EH: Yes, and we often can’t see how architecture influences us. That seems much less technical, or much less like a power structure, but it still is.

LC: Shot in Brussels, False Positives adopts the vantage point and ‘neutral’ aesthetic of a surveillance camera. It’s often an almost non-human perspective that you are shooting from. How did the aesthetic choices of the project develop?

EH: Well, I would start out by observing, and then I also worked with the interface used in a lot of free intelligence softwares. I’d have all these neon colors as an overlay for my photographs. Then, I started approaching passersby and interacting with them. What I liked about the process is that the individuals were very aware of me photographing them, which was important because I didn’t want to surveil them!

For my current work, I’m in the middle of trying out different approaches, looking into making a storyboard and thinking about how to create narrative through different images, which is something I haven’t really done before. I started walking a lot, and then felt the need to have some sort of protagonist which, in False Positives, were the passersby—but this time I decided to cast someone.

LC: So it begins with observation and then builds into something more staged. How much happens outside and how much happens in the studio?

EH: Before, I was manipulating the images. But now I am definitely staging them. I prepare a lot before shooting, so I’ll go and scout locations and know where I want to photograph. But then, when I start photographing this actor, a lot is done in the moment. The street becomes a stage.

LC: Drawing is also an important part of your practice. Can you tell me a bit about what it adds to your process?

EH: I think it’s another way of getting a better grasp on the abstract part of the technology that I’m looking at. Patterns were such an important part of the intelligent surveillance camera, so drawing these patterns seemed to make a lot of sense. I like the idea of circling around the topic and not necessarily voicing my own opinion about it in the end. It’s more about having different ways of looking at it.

It also has a lot to do with a straightforward visualization of the topic. We talk about artificial intelligence a lot, bu the image that comes to mind is usually a blurry CCTV screenshot or something, and it’s hard to think of anything else. In order to question the whole idea of an intelligent surveillance camera, or to think about who makes them or the bias of the system, I think we need to look at it less abstractly and create less distance. There are so few people who actually understand how these systems work.

LC: Tell me a bit about your new work The Traveling Salesman, which was made in New York. Would you
say there was anything in False Positives that hinted towards your movement in this kind of way of working, or something that was lacking in the way of working that you wanted to open up to?


EH: The red thread is pretty clear. But while I was photographing False Positives, I would do a lot of location scouting and, as I returned to shoot from these high viewpoints to make a montage with the people in that specific moment, I remember already thinking: “But there’s also their perspective too.” It was a curiosity for finding a way to move around them and the space more. To exhaust the possibility of one moment—or rather fully construct it from using lots of different elements and perspectives of the space. I also wanted to work on a narrative, because before I was looking at typologies a lot.

I started out by walking and photographing, and then trying to create a storyboard out of those walks. Soon I started to feel the need for a protagonist in the storyboard. Then, I came across the idea of the ‘traveling salesman problem,’ which is the name for a mathematical problem. The question it asks is straightforward: if you need to visit a certain amount of places and you want to start and finish in the same place, what is the fastest way to do so? This is something we do every day with Google Maps, but the more places you include, the more complex the problem becomes. It’s notoriously difficult to solve. Coming back to what I said about Paul Graham’s work—this unpredictability in public space—I wanted to juxtapose that with the efficiency and control of the traveling salesman problem.

LC: Though you’re dealing with an idea that speaks a lot about control, there seems to be a more poetic and theatrical element in this work than in your previous project. Can you tell me about your choices and working process?

EH: This is a very small selection and it’s in process, but it has the tone that I want to use, which is a little bit dreamy. I like using black and white processes to make it feel more cinematographic, which is also why I chose to use the 16 x 9 format. I’m interested in keeping a very minimal narrative, where something is hinted at. The important part is to show the map in the different points. You can create pretty interesting movements out of the traveling salesman problem.There is this one structure, but there are infinite possibilities.

I’m very interested in the combination of staging and observing, of control and just letting it be. Now that I’ve done a lot of staging, I’m also ready to step back a little and try to control it a bit less again. That’s why it starts with walking. Now I want to get back to emotions, and this feeling of unpredictability. I want it to be about the city just moving around you, instead of us just following the protagonist. I like the idea of looking at the street as a choreography of itself. It’s like when you say that the city can be a backdrop or a stage—a space for movement which might be directed by the architecture. But we don’t know exactly how it’s directed, or what kind of choreography we are then left with.







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




M, Le Magazine du Monde Présumés Suspects
Text by Juliette Briancard, September 2016






"La photographe Esther Hovers invite dans une série photos à réfléchir sur la video-surveillance 'intelligente'.
Dans son viseur : les nouvelles caméras qui détectent les mouvements supposés dangereux pour la sécurité publique."






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




Lens – The New York Times
Gazing Back at the Suveillance Cameras That Watch Us
Text by Jordan Teicher, August 2018






Excerpt of the article:

If Mr. Hammerand’s work is a warning about a world in which anyone could be watching you, Esther Hovers’s serves as a warning about a world where no one is watching — at least, nobody human. As the number of security cameras grows, it isn’t feasible for people to keep watch on them at all times. Software picks up the slack.

In her series “False Positives,” Ms. Hovers visualizes the capabilities of security cameras in the future, which are programmed to automatically spot unusual movement patterns that may signal a criminal act.

“The systems I’m talking about still very much serve a supportive role,” she said. “For someone who has to watch like 40 or 50 different monitors at once, this intelligent camera can give a preference and say, ‘Please watch this screen.’ The future of it is for it to become more autonomous.”

Ms. Hovers read about such cameras in a newspaper article about Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, which was experimenting with the technology. While she couldn’t learn much about Schipol’s specific system, researchers explained the underlying technology’s principles. Ms. Hovers used that knowledge to create — with the help of strangers she enlisted in the spur of the moment — scenes on the streets of Brussels that demonstrate some of the so-called anomalies an algorithm would likely detect.

In some images, the anomaly is easy to spot: Two men sprinting through the middle of the sidewalk, a group of people moving in a coordinated way, a man standing alone in a crowd. In others, however, the anomaly is hard to pinpoint. One wonders, is it the guy running? Or could it be the man walking in the opposite direction from everyone else in the image?

I like to keep that a little bit vague because I actually want to encourage this judgment of what’s normal,” Ms. Hovers said.



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








March 2024 - ‘Windows’ Framed



Image credit: Esther Hovers




I recently sold a piece of my ‘Windows’ series. The original works were exhibited unframed, but for this acquisition I came up with a suggestion for a walnut floater frame coated with black ink. All 63 prints were glued one by one with a special acid free ink.If you are also interested in more information on the works I am currently selling, contact me directly by sending an e-mail.

︎    info[at]estherhovers.com


















March 2024 - Fotohof



Image credit: Fotohof Salzburg




My former teacher Vincent van Baar has an exhibition titled ‘Fotobuchdesigns der KABK, Den Haag’ at Fotohof in Salzburg. The show brings together books that he helped into being. My book False Positives is on display as well as an early version dummy which Vincent helped me design back in 2015.

‘Fotobuchdesigns der KABK, Den Haag’
19/03 - 16/05/2024

Fotohof Salzburg.
www.fotohof.at


















February 2024 - Kunsthaus NRW



Image credit: Kunsthaus NRW Kornelimünster




My work ‘The Right to be Forgotten’ will be part of a group show at the Kunsthaus NRW Kornelimünster in Aachen. For this exhibition I am adding a new work to the series. The works will be on display starting 27 April until September 1st. Come join me for the opening on April 27.

‘Are you sure you want to delete this? künstlerische arbeit mit fotoarchiven’

Kunsthaus NRW Kornelimünster
www.kunsthaus.nrw


















January 2024 - BFF



Image credit: Biennale Della Fotografia Femminile




My work False Positives continues to travel and will be on show as part of the Biennale Della Fotografia Femminile in Montova. It will be on show from March 8 through April 14.

Biennale Della Fotografia Femminile
Montova

www.bffmantova.com/


















August 2023 - VAC Exhibition



Image credit: Logo Visual Arts Center




My work False Positives continues to travel and will be on show as part of the exhibition ‘A Well-trained Eye’ at the Visual Art Center, University of Texas at Austin. Little did I know upon creating this series years ago that the topic would only grow in significance. Many thanks to Maria Emilia Fernandez for including my work in the show. The work is up from September 22nd through the 2nd of March, 2024.

Visual Arts Center
2300 Trinity St
Austin, TX 78712
USA
https://utvac.org/


















May 2023 - Artist Talk @ BOHAI


Image credit: Photographer unknown




This weekend (28.05) I will be heading back to Hannover to give an artist talk at my exhibition ‘The Right to be Forgotten’ @galeriebohai – maybe far for most but come through if you can.

Artist Talk
Sunday 28.05 at 16:00
Galerie Bohai, Hannover
www.galeriebohai.com


















April 2023 - Kunststiftung DZ Bank




Image credit: © 2023 DZ BANK Kunststiftung




I am very excited to have been nominated for the DZ BANK Kunststiftung Scholarship. This is a grant to further the work of artist working within the photographic field. The scholarship is granted every two years and meant for the development of new artworks.DZ Bank Kunststiftung
‘Förderstipendium’

www.kunststiftungdzbank.de
















April 2023 - Harry Penningsprijs




Image credit: © 2023 Pennings Foundation




I am pleased for my work to have been nominated for the Harry Penningsprijs – A photography award in the Netherlands. I have been selected amongst a group of nine artists. All of our works will be featured in a group show opening this May.Harry Penningsprijs Exhibition
06/05 - 24/06/2023

Pennings Foundation
Geldropseweg 63, Eindhoven NL www.penningsfoundation.com
















March 2023 - Mondriaan Fund




Image credit: © 2023 Mondriaan Fonds




I am very happy to announce that I will be receiving a grant from the Mondriaan Fund, the public fund for visual art and cultural heritage in the Netherlands. This grant is specifically intended to work on a new project.
On this project I will be collaborating with a fellow visual artist and friend Raphaël Dallaporta. As I develop this new work, more information will follow in the coming months.
















February 2023 - Solo Show @ BOHAI




Image credit: © 2023 Galerie BOHAI, Hannover




I am in the midst of preparing for a solo exhibition at Galerie BOHAI in Hannover. For this show I am creating a combination of existing and lots of new work. The exhibition will open on May 5th and run until May 28th 2023. With the date of an artist talk still to be anounced. Stay Tuned!

Galerie BOHAI
Schwarzer Bär 6
30449 Hannover, Germany

www.galeriebohai.com/














August 2022 - Kühlhaus Berlin




Image credit: © 2022 Kühlhaus Berlin




False Positives will be on view at the @kuehlhausberlinofficial in Berlin as part of the group show AS IF EVERYTHING IS FOREVER / ALS WÄRE ALLES FÜR IMMER. The show runs from September 15 until October 1st and is a curation by @harald_f._theiss from works of the collection of the @art_us_collectors_collective - A special shout out to Gudrun and Jochen who are at the heart of this collective. They have been the first to ever collect my work and I am grateful for their continued support.

AS IF EVERYTHING IS FOREVER / ALS WÄRE ALLES FÜR IMMER -

Opening on Thursday,
September 15 from 18:00 - 21:00.
Kühlhaus, Luckenwalder Straße 3, 10963 Berlin














June 2022 - Festival Images Vevey




Image credit: © 2022 Festival Images Vevey




I am very excited to be showing my work ‘Windows’ at this year’s Festival Images Vevey in Switzerland. For this installation at Château de l’Aile, I am working on a solo show, presenting an extended version of the work I first showed at Stroom in 2020.

Festival Images Vevey
Château de l’Aile Vevey (CH)
03/09/2022 - 25/09/2022

www.images.ch












March 2022 - Natural Dyes




Image credit: © 2022 Esther Hovers




This past week I have been teaching a workshop on natural dyes, and different ways of printmaking, such as cyanotype and anthotypes. This collaborative workshop along side the wonderful Zindzi Zwietering turned into an installation of the natural dyes, created by our students and ourselves, over the course of a week. View the installation in the exhibition section of my website.

‘Natural Dyes Installation’
A Co-production with Zindzi Zwietering.
Dyes derived from various plant material, Sizes Variable, At Leo Kanner College, The Netherlands, 2022.
If you are interested to know more about these and other techniques, feel free to contact me directly.












November 2021 - Essay




Image credit: © 2021 Esther Hovers




I wrote a text for ‘Why Pictures?’ Find it here to see the published result. It is a personal take on the future of the image. I reflect on my latest work on The Right To Be Forgotten. Thank you Krzysztof Pijarski for the invitation.

‘Future of the Image: Why Disappearing Pictures?’
by Esther Hovers

whypictures.net












November 2021 - Data Streams




Image credit: © 2018 Clemens von Wedemeyer




I am working to finish new frames for an upcoming show at @theglucksman in Ireland. I will be showing both older and new work. Aiming to expand my new work on ‘The Right To Be Forgotten’. The show ‘Data Streams’ is to open in December.

Data Streams
at The Glucksman - Art Museum

The Glucksman
University College Cork
Ireland T12 V1WH












October 2021 - Le Bal Screening




Image credit: © 2021 Le Bal




Happy for my work to be part of a screening at my favourite photography museum in Paris @le_bal – The seminar title translates to “THE IMAGE AT THE TEST OF MACHINES - RECONFIGURATIONS OF THE VISIBLE”. Wish I could join the program in person. For those in Paris – you can. The program is free and you can sign up through the website of Le Bal.

6, Impasse de la Défense
75018 Paris
www.le-bal.fr












September 2021 - New Installation




Image credit: © 2021 YAA




I will be showing a new installation at Amsterdam House of Arts & Crafts during the Amsterdam Open Studio Weekend.
This event takes place during the weekend of October 9/10 . Come say hi at the House of A&C or find my work at the old synagoge, Uilenburgersjoel.

October 9 & 10: 12pm - 6pm

Amsterdam House Of A&C
Oude Schans 21, Amsterdam

Uilenburgersjoel
Nieuwe Uilenburgerstraat 91, Amsterdam













September 2021 - Fotastisch




Image credit: © 2021 Beeldvoorziening




On September 19th I will be giving a presentation about my work at Beeldvoorziening. The day will be packed with portfolio reviews, workshops and artist talks. I will be presenting a 2:15PM, 1 ticket left available : here.

Fotastisch

Beeldvoorziening
Newtonstraat 3
3401 JA  IJsselstein












July 2021 - Work Overview




Image credit: © 2021 Esther Hovers




Check out this video, created for Beeldvoorziening. It is an overview of most of the work I have created so far.

Beeldvoorziening Video
Works 2015 – Now













July 2021 - Masterclass Series




Image credit: © 2021 Esther Hovers




In October I will be teaching a series of masterclasses at ‘Beeldvoorziening’ in IJsselstein. The masterclass series will focus on conceptual photography – everything from defining themes in your work, conceptualisation, to exhibiting your work. If you are interested contact Beeldvoorziening for more information.

Beeldvoorziening
Studio IJsselstein
Newtonstraat 3,
IJsselstein, NL.













June 2021 - Panel Discussion Belfast




Image credit: © 2021 ING




On July 25th, 7PM CEST I will be joining Adam Broomberg and Alfonso de Gregorio in a discussion on art and the surveillance state. The conversation will be moderated by Anna Cafolla (editor at Dazed).

Futures
Futures – Surveillance State
RSVP through Belfast Photo Festival












May 2021 - Exhibition Kunsthal




Image credit: © 2021 Marco de Swart




June 5th marks the end of lockdown in the Netherlands. Therefore, this is also the opening date for our exhibition ‘Resilience, A Personal Story’, at the Kunsthal in Rotterdam (NL).

Resilience, A Personal Story
Kunsthal Rotterdam
05/27/2021 -  19/09/2021
Curated by: Shehera Grot












March 2021 - Nomination ING Award




Image credit: © 2021 ING




My work is nominated for the ING Photography Award. This nomination includes the opportunity to create new work through a series of coaching sessions by Alec Soth. My new work will be exhibited in a group show, together with my fellow nominees at the Kunsthal in Rotterdam, this May.

ING Award 2021

Kunsthal Rotterdam
05/27/2021 -  19/09/2021










March 2021 - Interview with Josh Croll




Image credit: © 2021 Josh Croll




I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Josh Croll. We discuss public space, surveillance, freedom of movement and other topics related to my projects. Find our zoom conversation here.

Boxed Off
Interview by Josh Croll

︎










February 2021 - Track & Trace Festival




Image credit: © 2021 Track and Trace, Kortrijk




I am preparing my linen works ‘Structures’ for a show at the Textile Museum; ‘Texture Museum’ in Belgium. (If art spaces can open again and all goes as planned) they will be on show during the Track & Trace Festival @trackandtracekortrijk in Kortrijk / Courtrai in spring.

Track & Trace
Photo Festival, Kortrijk / Courtrai (BE)
13/03/2021 - 25/04/2021









January 2021 - Podcast MENS





Image credit: © 2021 Vrij Nederland



This week I was a guest on @vrij_nederland Podcast MENS with Sander Pleij. The interview (in Dutch) is part of his conversations with scientists, artists and thinkers about innovation. MENS: How are we changing and where do we want to go?
Our conversation starts with my work False Positives, but then turns into a discussion on, well… all of the projects I have ever done. Hope you enjoy!

Find it here.










October 2020 - Stroom Extended




Image credit: © 2020 Esther Hovers




I am happy to report that our exhibition Capturing Corona will be extended until November 15th. What better distraction from corona than art about corona?

Stroom Den Haag
Hogewal 1-9, The Hague
Open Wed-Sunday,
12-17h00.









September 2020 - Zone2Source




Image credit: © 2020 Esther Hovers




October 4 will be the opening of Mind Your Step at Zone2Source in the Amstel Park in Amsterdam. I created a completely new audio project for this group exhibition.

Audio Dérives at Zone2Source
Opening October 4, 3PM at het glazen huis
Amstelpark Amsterdam







May 2020 - Stroom Exhibition




Image credit: © 2020 Esther Hovers




Myself and four other photographers have been commissioned the creation of a project by Stroom Den Haag. On October 3, we will be opening the exhibition showcasing the results.

Public Space in times of Covid
Stroom, Den Haag (NL)
03/10/2020 -  01/11/2020

Hogewal 1–9, Den Haag.







September 2020 - Exhibition Brussels




Image credit: © 2020 Esther Hovers




Traveling Salesman is currently on view at the Orange Art House in Brussels, until the end of the year.
The show is curated by Radek Vana.
And feautures the work of three other artists.

Nieuwe Ruimte(s)
Orange Art House, Brussels (BE)
03/09/2020 - 31/12/2020

Aarlenstraat 20, Brussels.







August 2020 - False Positives Tour




Image credit: © 2020 Esther Hovers




False Positives is still traveling quite a bit, go see it in one of the following exhibitions:

New Orleans Museum of Art (USA) 
06/11/2020 -  07/03/2021 or

Delta - Namur Art Center (BE)
23/09/2020 - 03/01/2021 or

Villa Merkel, Esslingen am Neckar (DE)
20/09/2020 - 15/11/2020 or

Tabakalera, San Sebastian (ES)
03/09/2020 - 27/09/2020 or in

Getxo, Basque Country (ES)
03/09/2020 - 27/09/2020.







May 2020 - Stroom Commission




Image credit: © 2020 Stroom Den Haag




Myself and four other photographers have been commissioned the creation of a project by Stroom Den Haag. The coming weeks I will be working on a series that reflects on public space at the time of this pandemic. More information to follow.
I will be working alongside Johan Nieuwenhuize, Christian van der Kooy, Nadine Stijns en Miguel Peres dos Santos. The work will be part of the collection of the City Archive of the Hague as well as the Hague Historical Museum.







April 2020 - Zone2Source




Image credit: © 2020 Zone2Source




I have been working on a new project for the ‘Mind Your Step’ exhibition at Zone2Source, Amstelpark Amsterdam. The project was supposed to be launched this June. Due to COVID-19 it has been rescheduled to September 6, 2020. Stay tuned!






April 2020 - NOMA




Image credit: © 2020 NOMA




The exhibition ‘New Photography’ at the New Orleans Museum of Art was supposed to open on April 17, 2020. Due to COVID-19 the exhibition will be postponed. New opening times will be given at later date.






February 2020 - Dutch Tax Office




Image credit: © 2020 Esther Hovers




I sold four works to the Dutch Tax Administration. I’m very pleased with the sale and hope to get a chance to see them installed in the office building here in The Hague.







Image credit: © 2020 Paris College of Art




On February 14, I will be giving a talk about my work at the Paris College of Art. Thank you to Klaus Fruchtnis for the invitation.

Artist Talk – Paris College of Art
15 Rue Fénelon, 75010 Paris
February 14, 13h00 - 14h00.








January 2020 - Basilico Prize 2020




Image credit: © 2020 Gabriele Basilico Prize




My work has been nominated for the Gabriele Basilico Prize 2020, for architecture and landscape photography.

Nomination
Gabriele Basilico Prize
More information








January 2020 - Paul Huf Award




Image credit: © 2020 Foam




My work has been nominated for the Foam Paul Huf Award 2020.
The winner will be announced in March.

Nomination
Foam Paul Huf Award
More information










Image credit: © 2019 Esther Hovers



My work Traveling Salesman is part of the exhibition The Process of Calculating One’s Position at NARS Foundation in Brooklyn, NY. This group show brings together the works of all the season III residency artists and is up through December 13.

NARS Foundation Season IV
201 46th Street, 4th fl.
Brooklyn, NY 11220

Opening Reception:
Friday Nov 15, from 6-8pm.
www.narsfoundation.org





November 2019 - GwinZegal




Image credit: © 2019 GwinZegal



My work will be part of the exhibition Contrôle + Z at GwinZegal (FR). This group show brings together the works of Broomberg & Chanarin, Daniel Mayrit, John Miller, Thomas Ruff, Jules Spinatsch, Hasan Elahi, Jeff Guess, Mishka Henner, Michaël Wolf, Julien Prévieux and Esther Hovers.

Contrôle + Z
Centre d’Art GwinZegal (FR)
23/11/2019 - 23/02/2020

Opening Reception:
Friday, November 22, 6:30pm.
www.gwinzegal.com






October  2019 - Nowhere Collective




Image credit: © 2019 Nowhere Collective



My latest work ‘Traveling Salesman’ is featured in the Nowhere Collective Zine. With a beautiful text by Katherine Adams.

Nowhere Collective Zine
#4 The Map Is Not the Territory
Download a Copy






November 2019 - Lishui Festival China




Image credit: © 2019 Lishui Photography Festival 



My work will be traveling to China for the Lishui Photography Festival. I am excited to be a part of this exhibition curated by Vanessa Kowalski.

Lishui Photography Festival
Municipal Museum Lishui
08/11/2019 - 12/11/2019







October 2019 - SITUATIONS/Deviation




Image credit: © 2019 Fotomuseum Winterthur



My work will be part of the exhibition SITUATIONS/Devation at Fotomuseum Winterthur in Switzerland. SITUATIONS examines the mechanisms of socio-cultural normalisation and deviation in the age of digital surveillance systems, algorithmic classification tools and preemptive technologies.

Opening and aperitif on Friday, October 18th, from 6pm

Fotomuseum Winterthur
Grüzenstrasse 44 + 45
CH-8400 Winterthur

www.fotomuseum.ch






October 2019 - Fall Open Studios




Image credit: © 2019 Esther Hovers



I am preparing for an open studio at NARS Foundation. This is a great opportunity for me to show my work in a different way from an exhibition. Come through if you are in New York.

NARS Foundation
201 46th St, 4th floor
Brooklyn, NY.

Open Studios:
Friday, October 18, 6 - 9 pm
Saturday, October 19, 12 - 5 pm
www.narsfoundation.org







August 2019 - Art´Us Collectors




Image credit: © 2018 Esther Hovers



False Positives will be part of the exhibition realityCHECK at Museum Kunstraum Potsdam (DE). This group show brings together the works belonging to the collection of Gudrun and Jochen Ruetz, who acquired my works a few years ago.

Art´Us Collectors´Collective e.V.

Opening Reception:
Friday, August 30th, 7pm.
www.art-us-collective.com







August 2019 - NARS Exhibition




Image credit: © 2019 NARS Foundation Logo



During the upcoming NARS' 2019 Season III Exhibition I will be showing my current work in progress. This group show featuring all the season III residency artists will take place from Aug 30 - Sept 20 in the Main Gallery.

NARS Foundation Season III
201 46th Street, 4th fl.
Brooklyn, NY 11220

Opening Reception:
Friday Sept 6, from 6-8pm.
www.narsfoundation.org






July 2019 - NARS Foundation




Image credit: © 2019 Esther Hovers



I recently started as an artist-in-residence at NARS Foundation in Brooklyn, NY. I will be here until the end of the year to make new work. Feel free to contact me for a visit.

NARS Foundation
201 46th Street, 4th fl.
Brooklyn, NY 11220







June 2019 - Aperture Foundation




Image credit: © 2019 Aperture Foundation Logo



I am very pleased to find out that False Positives has been selected for the DELIRIOUS CITIES exhibition at Aperture Gallery in New York this summer.

Delirious Cities – Aperture Gallery
547 West 27th Street, 4th Floor
New York, N.Y. 10001
July 25 – August 29, 2019







June 2019 - Mondriaan Support




Image credit: © 2019 Mondriaan Fund Logo



More exciting news! The Mondriaan Fund will also be supporting my residency at NARS in Brooklyn New York. I’m feeling very grateful for all of their help.







June 2019 - Stroom Support




Image credit: © 2019 Logo Stroom Den Haag



I am very grateful to be receiving a PRO Research Grant from Stroom Den Haag in support of my upcoming residency at NARS in Brooklyn New York.







May 2019 - Book Signing & Talks




Image credit: © 2019 Esther Hovers



Book Signing at CONTACT Photobook Fair.
May 5 at 1PM – Stephen Bulger Gallery, Toronto.

Artist talk and round table discussion.
May 6 at 6:30PM – AGO : Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto.

Discussion with Parker Kay and Melanie Wilmink.
May 7 at 6PM – Scrap Metal Gallery, Toronto.

www.scotiabankcontactphoto.com







May 2019 - CONTACT Festival




Image credit: © 2019 CONTACT Festival Canada



My work will be exhibited during the CONTACT Festival, spanning the whole month of May in Toronto.
My first artist book ‘False Positives’ will also be on display at the Paris Photo/Aperture Foundation Photobook Award exhibition.

CONTACT Festival
Harbourfront Centre, Toronto (CA)
Opening May 1st.
www.scotiabankcontactphoto.com






April 2019 - YAA Exhibition




Image credit: © 2019 Arti et Amicitiae



I will be showing new work in a group show at Arti et Amicitiae in Amsterdam. This exhibition celebrates the 7 year anniversary of Young Art Fund Amsterdam and is curated by Edith Rijnja.

Zachtzinnig Radicaal at Arti et Amicitiae
Opening April 26 – 8PM.
Rokin 112, Amsterdam, NL.
www.art.nl






March 2019 - Lens Culture



Image credit: © 2015 Esther Hovers



Got a nice article on Lens Culture this week. Written by one of my favourite writers on photography, Sophie Wright. In 2017 she wrote the text for my book False Positives, now we meet again to discuss the influence of the street on my work. Lens Culture is launching a street guide that also features my work, some old and new things. More info soon.
Beyond the Visible: The Hidden Structures of the Street, by Sophie Wright, March 2019.






February 2019 - Fotodok Taferelen




Image credit: © 2019 Fotodok




This Thursday (21/02) I will be one of the speakers at TAFERELEN at Fotodok, Utrecht (NL). The event is rapidly selling out, get your ticket at fotodok.org

Taferelen – February 21st
Lange Nieuwstraat 7, Utrecht (NL)







January 2019 - Paul Huf Award




Image credit: © 2019 Foam




My work has been nominated for the Foam Paul Huf Award 2019.
The winner will be announced in March.

Nomination
Foam Paul Huf Award
More information







January 2019 - Jourfixe Lecture




Image credit: © 2017 Isabelle van Hemert




On January 23, I will be heading to Munich to give a lecture at the Art Academy, as part of their ‘Jourfixe Series’. Additionally, I will also use this visit to meet with students for studio visits. I am excited to exchange my usual role for a different one. 

Akademie der Bildenden Künste
Akademiestraße 2 - 4
Munich (DE)
www.adbk.de







November 2018 - Fotodok Exhibition





Image credit: © 2018 Fotodok & Esther Hovers



‘False Positives’ is part of a group show over at Fotodok in Utrecht, NL.
The exhibition features works by Eline Benjaminsen, Donald Weber, Salvatore Vitale, among others. The exhibition runs through February 24th, 2019.

Fotodok
Lange Nieuwstraat 7
Utrecht, NL
www.fotodok.org
‘Who’s In Control?’
Nov 23 – Feb 24, 2019







November 2018 - IMA Online Japan





Image credit: © 2018 IMA Online



My book ‘False Positives’ popped up in this Japanese article, as one of the photobooks of the month. For those who are interested; the book is for sale at Post Books and at DSM Bookshelf in Tokyo, among other places.








November 2018 - P&C, Art Rotterdam





Image credit: © 2018 Art Rotterdam and Mondriaan Fund



In February 2019 the next edition of Art Rotterdam will take place. For this art fair Mondriaan Fund is hosting an exhibition in the former Van Nelle Factory. My work will be part of it as well.

Prospects & Concepts Exhibition
At ‘Van Nellefabriek’
Van Nelleweg 1, Rotterdam
February 7 – February 10, 2019
More information here.







November 2018 - Artist At Work





Image credit: © 2018 Esther Hovers



On November 27th I will be giving an artist talk at ISCP, along with my fellow artist-in-residence Emily Floyd. “Esther Hovers will speak about her photographic practice, as well as her work in progress entitled The Traveling Salesman. She will share her process for this project, which she has been developing during her residency at ISCP.”

ISCP Talk
Nov 27th, 6:30 - 8pm.
View Event







November 2018 - NARS Foundation





Image credit: © 2018 NARS Foundation Logo



I’m very excited to find out that I have been accepted as an artist-in-residence at NARS Foundation in Brooklyn, New York. If all goes as planned, I will return to New York in 2019 to continue working on the project I have started over the past few months.







November 2018 - Lianzhou Foto





Image credit: © 2018 Lianzhou Foto Logo



From December 1st False Positives will be on view at Lianzhou Foto, in Lianzhou, China. The exhibition runs through January 3rd 2019. 

Lianzhou Foto
1 Dec - 3 January 2019
Curated by Jérôme Sother.
For more info visit the website







October 2018 - ISCP Open Studios





Image credit: © 2018 Esther Hovers



Please join us for the Fall Open Studios at ISCP (International Studio and Curatorial Program).During this weekend I will be showing the works I have been creating during my past months as an artist-in-residence here at ISCP.

Opening: Nov 09, 2018, 6–9pm.
Open Hours: Saturday, November 10, 1–7pm.

ISCP Fall Open Studios
1040 Metropolitan Avenue
Brooklyn, New York.







September 2018 - Shortlist




Image credit: © 2018 Esther Hovers




The shortlist for the 2018 Photobook Awards have been announced and I am beyond excited that my book False Positives has been nominated for First Photobook.

The Paris Photo / Aperture Foundation Photobook Awards, 2018
View full shortlist here.






September 2018 - Book Signing NY





Image credit: © 2018 The New York Times



September 21st, 5PM I will be doing a book signing at the New York Art Book Fair. Come find me at the booth of Fw:Books (C01).

NY Art Book Fair
at MoMA PS1
22-25 Jackson Avenue
Free entrance.






August 2018 - The New York Times





Image credit: © 2018 The New York Times




Thank you Jordan Teicher, for including my work on the New York Times Photography Blog: Lens.
The article ‘Gazing Back at the Surveillance Cameras That Watch Us’ discusses the way surveillance is being dealt with in photography.

You can find the article online:
‘Gazing Back at the Surveillance Cameras That Watch Us’

by Jordan Teicher
For The New York Times.









July 2018 - Artist-in-residence ISCP





Image credit: © 2018 Esther Hovers




This week I received the keys to my studio at ISCP (International Studio and Curatorial Program) in Brooklyn, New York. I will be an artist-in-residence here for the duration of half a year.
Feel free to contact me for a studio visit: +1 (646) 675-3176

ISCP - Studio 303
1040 Metropolitan Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY 11211









June 2018 - Blog Announcement





Image credit: © 2018 Esther Hovers



By the end of June I will be heading to Brooklyn to be an artist-in-residence at the International Studio and Curatorial Program (ISCP).
I will be exploring the city and working on a new project during half a year. I want to keep you updated, that is why I started a blog.

Check back for regular updates, on this section of my website.







June 2018 - Galerie Weisser Elefant





Image credit: Galerie Weisser Elefant



‘False Positives’ is currently part of a group show at the Galerie Weisser Elefant in Berlin. Running until 18/07/2018.

Regime der Vorhersage
Galerie Weisser Elefant
Auguststraße 21, Berlin (DE)
Opening 07/06/18 at 7pm.







May 2018 - Heidelberger Kunstverein





Image credit: Heidelberger Kunstverein



‘False Positives’ is currently part of an exhibition at the Heidelberger Kunstverein.

Stadtansichten
Heidelberger Kunstverein
Heidelberg (DE)
05/05 - 08/07/2018








April 2018 - Krakow Photo Month





Image credit: Krakow Photo Month




‘False Positives’ will be on show during the Krakow Photo Month. The exhibition is curated by Iris Sikking. 

Krakow Photo Month
Bunkier Sztuki Gallery of Contemporary Art (PL)
25/05 - 24/06/2018








March 2018 - Milan Digital Week





Image credit: milanodigitalweek.com


My work will be part of a screening during Milano Digital Week. From March 15 through March 18. Find it at:

BASE Milano
More information








February 2018 - Foam Paul Huf Award





Image credit: Foam


My work has been nominated for the Foam Paul Huf Award 2018. The winner will be announced on March 8th.

Foam Paul Huf Award
More information








February 2018 - Wetransfer Magazine





Image credit: Esther Hovers


Thank you Wetransfer for the feature in your beautiful magazine ‘Present’. Wetransfer backgrounds are booked by advertisers. But 30% of their ad inventory is dedicated to art. That’s how my work popped up on wetransfer last year.Present Magazine 2017/18








January 2018 - Libération





Image credit: Esther Hovers


In this weekend’s Libération you can find a nice article about the Surveillance Index Exhibition at Le Bal, featuring one of my images.

Libération No. 11394
“Un Monde Veilleur”
By Clementine Mercier








January 2018 - Book Signing at Le Bal





Image credit: Esther Hovers


I will be presenting my new book at Le Bal in Paris. As part of their program ‘Surveillance Index’. On January 13 at 4 pm.

LE BAL
6, Impasse de la Défense
75018 Paris (FR)
www.le-bal.fr







January 2018 - Plat(t)form





Image credit: Fotomuseum Winterthur


I will be attending Plat(t)form 2018 at Fotomuseum Winterthur, CH. An event which provides 42 photographers with the chance to present their work to a team of experts, as well as the public.

Portfolio Viewing

SAT 27/01 2018,
11:00–19:00
SUN 28/01 2018,
11:00–17:00
www.fotomuseum.ch







December 2017 - Fotodok Book Club





Image credit: Fotodok


On Thursday December 14, I will be talking about my new book False Positives. Other guests are Simon Roberts and Mathieu Asselin. Interviews by Rob Hornstra. (View event)

Fotodok Book Club
December 14
8 PM - 9:30 PM

Centraal Museum
Agnietenstraat 1
Utrecht, NL.







November 2017 - ESAL





Image credit: ESAL



I am extremely happy and thankful to be the laureate of the Edward Steichen Award Luxembourg 2017. The prize consists of a residency of 6 months at the International Studio and Curatorial Program (ISCP) in Brooklyn, New York. (View ESAL website)







October 2017





Image credit: Esther Hovers



Book Signing
Nov 11th, 5 p.m. at Offprint Paris, at the stand of Fw:Books

Offprint Paris
Beaux-Arts de Paris
14 Rue Bonaparte
75006 Paris







September 2017





Image credit: Betweter Festival



Starting on September 29th ‘False Positives’ will be shown during ‘Betweter Festival’ in Utrecht. This pop-up exhibition is initiated by Fotodok.

Betweter Festival
September 29 - 30
Tivoli Vredenburg,
Utrecht







August 2017





Image credit: Esther Hovers



My work ‘Structures of Power’ will be part of Photo Festival Schiedam (NL). Which will take place from October 12 – 22.

Fotofestival Schiedam
Location to be confirmed







July 2017





Image credit: Esther Hovers


Güray Oskay has written an article about my work for the Turkish Magazine Architecture Unlimited. The article is both in Turkish as well as English. You can also find it online.

'Anomali Önleyici Olarak Mimarlik'
July 2017
by Güray Oskay








July 2017





Image credit: Esther Hovers


Annette Hans has written an article about my practice for the magazine of Künstlerhaus Bethanien, where I was an artist-in-residence for two months in 2016.

BE Magazine
By Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin
BE No. 24







June 2017





Image credit: Jeune Création


My work will be part of a projection during this years Jeune Création exhibition. The slideshow will also be part of screenings during Festival Rencontres d'Arles.

Jeune Création
Thaddhaeus Ropac Gallery
Pantin (FR)
July 8 - July 21







June 2017





Image credit: Foam


My work is featured in a group show at Foam, Photography Museum of Amsterdam. The Festival is entitled Foam Fusion and is hosted in honor of the 15th birthday of the museum.

Foam Fusion
June 09 - 11
Keizersgracht 609
Amsterdam, NL







May 2017





Image credit: Logo Stroom


I'm very glad to announce that I will be receiving a grant from Stroom, the Hague. This means it will now be possible to publish my False Positives book. The book will be published by FW: and designed by Hans Gremmen. If you wish to be informed upon the release of the new edition, feel free to contact me.







May 2017





Image credit: Esther Hovers



This weekend the opening of my solo exhibition in Luxembourg took place. The European Month of Photography is hosted in Luxembourg, so definitely worth a visit. Curated by Danielle Igniti.

Structures of Power

Centre d'Art Dominique Lang (LU)
06/05/2017 - 09/06/2017
Check opening times here







May 2017





Image credit: Esther Hovers



This coming week I will head to Istanbul to give a lecture about my work to the architecture department of Maltepe University.

Urban View
May 12th
Maltepe University, Istanbul (TR)







May 2017





Image credit: Paolo Ciregia, from Perestrojka




From May 1st until the end of the same month, my work will be displayed at the Diffusion International Photography Festival in Cardiff.

Diffusion
Unit 15 Mermaid Quay
Cardiff Bay (UK)







March 2017





Image credit: Logo Mondriaan Fund



I'm extremely happy to announce that I will be receiving a 'Young Talent' grant for the further development of my work from the Mondriaan Fund. The public cultural funding organization focusing on visual arts and cultural heritage.







March 2017





Image credit: Agnès b



For the Ligne d'Artistes of Parisian fashion brand Agnès b, we designed a t-shirt with my photograph. Agnès b X Esther Hovers.

Ligne d'Artistes
Silk screen print / Double stitching.
Order it here







March 2017





Image credit: Studio Magazine



Studio magazine #11_ Terrific, is now available. My work is part of a featured essay by Vassilis Alymaras (architect and lecturer based in Istanbul). STUDIO is an architecture and urbanism Magazine.

STUDIO magazine
#11_ Terrific
Sublime vs. Terror / Ruins Act2







March 2017





Image credit: Witte de With



I'll be giving a talk about my work at Witte de With, Centre for Contemporary Art, in Rotterdam. This is part of the Class of '17 program. Furthermore, there will be a talk and performance by Frans van Lent.

Artist Talk / Witte de With
March 7, starting 12pm
Witte de Withstraat 50
Rotterdam (NL)







February 2017





Image credit: C/O Logo



Opening on February 17 at 7 pm at the C/O Berlin Foundation: "Watched! Surveillance Art & Photography"
My work is part of this group show in Berlin, which includes works by Julian Röder, Viktoria Bintschok, Hito Steyerl, Trevor Paglen, Jill Magid, Hasan Elahi, Paolo Cirio, Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin, James Bridle and Ai Wei Wei.

18/02/2017 - 23/04/2017
C/O Berlin Foundation








February 2017





Image credit: Jan van der Til, Book IV



On the occasion of the fifth edition of the Portfolio Review, a group show featuring the works of nine artists from the past editions will be taking place at the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf. This includes works by Thomas Albdorf, Andrey Bogush, Maurice van Es, Esther Hovers, Paul Hutchinson, Vendula Knopová, Sasha Kurmaz, Jan van der Til and Nikolas Ventourakis.

02/02/2017 - 12/03/2017
NRW-Forum Düsseldorf








January 2017





Image credit: Esther Hovers



Two of my photographs were featured with an article about the idea of a universal income in French newspaper Libération. 

Revenu universel : une idée qui travaille la gauche
By Luc Peillon, For Libération







January 2017





Image credit: Holden Gallery



My work will be part of a group exhibition entitled "Glut: Images, information and excess". The show opens January 16 at the Holden Gallery in Manchester.

16/01/2017 - 03/03/2017
Holden Gallery, Manchester UK








January 2017





Image credit: Esther Hovers



I shot a short series for De Correspondent. The photos accompany an essay on habits by Bregje Hofstede. You can find here.







December 2016





Image credit: ALAN Gallery



January 5th will be the opening of a group show entitled 'New Photography II'. My work is part of this show in Istanbul.

05/01/2017 - 05/02/2017
ALAN Gallery
, Istanbul (TR)







November 2016





Image credit: Esther Hovers



A few of my False Positives images just went live on wetransfer. An interview about the project will follow shortly (November 17). Part of wetransfer backgrounds are booked by advertisers, the rest is dedicated to the work of artists. Check it out here.







October 2016





Image credit: LDS Gallery



October 22 will be the opening of a public installation of contemporary photography in the main street of Reggio Emilia (IT). This installation includes one of my works, and another by Alberto Sinigaglia. There will be music and drinks, stop by if you're in the neighbourhood: LDS Gallery at Via Luigi Carlo Farini. The event is curated by Luca Massaro.







October 2016





Image credit: Sarah Pickering



On October 22 I will be giving a talk about False Positives in Brighton, at the Miniclick Photo Talks. This is part of this year's Brighton Photo Fringe.

The Miniclick Photo Talks







October 2016





Image credit: Fetart




October 13-15 will be a pop-up exhibition to launch Galerie Circulations. A few of my works are included and for sale there. I can't be there myself but please drop by if you're in the neighbourhood.
Opening at 19h: 21 rue des Filles du Calvaire - Paris 3e (FR)







October 2016





Image credit: Esther Hovers



This week was the launch of a publication I made in collaboration with the StartPoint Prize in Prague, CZ. The book is a modest catalogue of my works. 

"Structures of Power"
on the works of Esther Hovers (Edition of 300)







September 2016





Image credit: Esther Hovers



False Positives is featured in M, Le Magazine du Monde this weekend, with four spreads.

“Présumés Suspects"
Text by Juliette Briancard
No. 260, September 10







August 2016





Image credit: Künstlerhaus Bethanien



I am very excited to spend the next two months in an artist residency in Berlin (Sept / Oct. 2016) This is a residency programme called Künstlerhaus Bethanien, situated in Kreuzberg. If you happen to be in the city, let me know!







August 2016





Image credit: Fotopub



I just got back from a week of Fotopub Festival. This is a festival in Novo Mesto, Slovenia. I was invited to show my work by a young Dutch platform called Dockingstation I took over their instagram account for the duration of the festival.







May 2016





Image credit: M, Le Magazine du Monde



My work is mentioned in this weeks M, the magazine of Le Monde. 

Visions d'Europe
by Claire Guillot, May 21 2016







May 2016





Image credit: CNA



I will be traveling to Luxemburg to join the portfolio reviews at Pomhouse / CNA. Saturday May 14th is a public event at the Pomhouse, during which the work of all participating artists will be presented.







May 2016





Image credit: Pagina99



My work is featured in an Italian printed weekly called Pagina99.

'In strada siamo tutti criminale',
April 30 2016







April 2016





Image credit: Esther Hovers



I just got back from a great week of exhibiting at Salone del Mobile in Milan. Together with a group of KABK alumni and students, I presented work in progress called 'Scenarios'. An overview of our work can be found here.







April 2016





Image credit: YAA



I'm very glad to be one of the lucky ones to receive a grand from the Young Art Fund Amsterdam. A big thank you to the board and all members of YAA !







March 2016





Image credit: Esther Hovers



Lise Martin wrote a nice piece about my work for the French Grazia. You can read it here. It features my portrait by the wonderful Katarína Gališinová. 

'Les Faux Criminels'
by Lise Martin, Grazia FR No. 0336







March 2016





Image credit: Esther Hovers



Great news!
My work is being shown in the Parisian metro. As part of the 2016 Festival Circulation(s).

My photos can be found at:

Hôtel de Ville
Bir Hakeim
Luxembourg
Jaurès
La Chapelle
(March 22 - June 26)
Pont de Neuilly
Opéra
Cité
Saint-Augustin
La Motte-Piquet-Grenelle
(March 22 - April 4)







March 2016





Image credit: Esther Hovers



False Positives is featured in the new issue of the British Journal of Photography.

British Journal of Photography
Weird Science issue, No. 7846, 2016







March 2016





Image credit: Esther Hovers



An overview of my work is soon to be seen in an exhibition at the Tribew Publishing House in Paris. (March 25 - April 8) The 25th is also the launch of the E-Book, which I made in collaboration with Tribew. Come and stop by between 14 - 20hrs if you're in the neighbourhood!

Editions Tribew
41 Rue des Tournelles
Paris 3e (FR)







March 2016





Image credit: Esther Hovers




From March 17 - May 2 an overview of my work is ondisplay at Stroom in the Hague, NL. You can find it near the entrance at the 'OpZicht' wall.

Stroom: Hogewal 1
The Hague, NL







February 2016





Image credit: Esther Hovers




'False Positives' is featured in this week's Courrier International, in France.

Courrier International
'Tendances - Flagrants Délits'
No. 1320, February 18 - 24, 2016







February 2016





Image credit: Wired.com



'False Positives' is featured on WIRED. Laura Mallonee has written a piece about my project. 

'Can you spot the suspicious behavior in these photos?'
February 2 2016







February 2016





Image credit: Esther Hovers / Arti et Amicitiae



'False Positives' will be exhibited in a group show at Arti et Amicitiae in Amsterdam, opening February 6.

Arti et Amicitiae,
Rokin 112
Amsterdam, NL







January 2016





Image credit: Portfolio Reviews Düsseldorf



I will be traveling to Düsseldorf to participate in the portfolio reviews at the NRW-Forum. I'll be giving a short presentation about my work along with the other artists. This is a public event at the NRW-Forum, February 13, starting at 11 am.

NRW-Forum,
Ehrenhof 2
Düsseldorf, DE.







November 2015





Image credit: Esther Hovers



This past year I have been working on a project about the 'Lucent Dans Theater', the 'Dr. Anton Philipszaal' and the Royal Conservatory of the Hague. All three buildings will be united in one new construction in the centre of the Hague. The series is now finished an will soon be featured in the online database of the Archive of the Hague, NL.







November 2015





Image credit: Esther Hovers



This Friday was the opening of the exhibition 'Now or Never #3' at GEM, the Hague. My work is part of this group exhibition, which shows the work of 12 KABK fine art and photography graduates of the past two years. The show will run until January 17 2016.







November 2015





Image credit: YET Magazine



'False Positives' will be featured in YET magazine's ninth issue; 'Control'.







November 2015





Image credit: YET Magazine



During Paris Photo, YET Magazine has launched an archive book that focusses on the past nine issues of the magazine. One of my photographs is part of it.







October 2015





Image credit: BNO img Lab



Coming Tuesday, October 27, I will give a short talk about my latest project 'False Positives' at Nieuwe Instituut. I will be giving this talk in Dutch.

Pioneers, BNO img Lab
Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam, NL







October 2015





Image credit: De Mus Logo



Coming Wednesday, October 21, I will give a talk about my project 'False Positives' at the Torpedo Theater. I will talk in Dutch.

Torpedo Theater
Sint Pieterspoortsteeg 33, Amsterdam, NL







October 2015





Image credit: Esther Hovers for De Correspondent



For Dutch online in depth news platform, I photographed philosipher Beate Roessler. Correspondent Maurits Martijn wrote a very interesting article on his interview with her about her research into today's privacy issues.







October 2015





Image credit: Unknown



I'm very honoured to announce that I am the winner of the Steenbergen Stipend 2015. This is a prize for Dutch photography graduates. My work and the projects of the other nominees is on display at the Dutch Photo Museum in Rotterdam until November 1.







October 2015





Image credit: Circulation(s) Logo



'False Positives' will be part of the French Photography Festival Circulation(s). My work was chosen along with the work of 23 other young European photographers. The festival will take place from March 26 until June 26 at the CENTQUATRE-Paris.

CENTQUATRE-Paris
5 Rue Curial, Paris 19e (FR)







October 2015





Image credit: Tribew Logo



'Le jury organisé pour le Prix Tribew récompense Esther Hovers'.
Tribew is a publishing house specializing in in digital publications. My work has been selected by the jury for a digital publication, which is to be launched during Circulation(s) in March in Paris.







September 2015





Image credit: Startpoint Prize



I'm glad to announce that I am the winner of the 2015 Startpoint Prize. This is a prize for European art graduates. In the spring of 2016 I will head back to Prague for a month long residency. Work of all the nominees is on show at the National Gallery, Fairtrade Palace until the 1st of November.







September 2015





Image credit: Esther Hovers



False Positives is currently on display at the Citroën Kunsthal in Amsterdam. This venue is part of the Unseen Photo Festival 2015. The work will be exhibited until October 26 and is represented by gallery Ron Mandos.







September 2015





Image credit: Unseen



My book False Positives has been shortlisted for the Unseen Dummy Award. You can come see it at the book market at Unseen Photo Fair. From 18-20 September. Also, be sure to check out 'Anthropocene' by my former classmate Cleo Wächter.







September 2015





Image credit: Esther Hovers



My work is on its way to Prague! It will be on display at the National Gallery, Fairtrade Palace, Prague CZ.

Startpoint Prize Exhibition
National Gallery, Prague (CZ)
09/29/2015 - 11/01/2015







August 2015





Image credit: Unknown



I'm very happy to be the winner of the Ron Mandos Photo Talent 2015 as well as the Ron Mandos Visitor's Award. This is part of the 'Best of Graduates' group show at gallery Ron Mandos.







August 2015





Image credit: Esther Hovers



'False Positives' is part of a group show over at Gallery Ron Mandos. This exhibition gathers the work of recent art graduates from different disciplines and academies.

Best of Graduates
Galerie Ron Mandos, Amsterdam (NL)
08/08/2015 - 08/29/2015







July 2015





Image credit: Esther Hovers



I'm very happy to announce that my work 'False Positives' has been nominated for the Steenbergen Stipend. The project will be exhibited at the Dutch Photo Museum in Rotterdam, in a group show displaying the work of all 5 nominees. The exhibition will be open between Sept 26th and Nov 1st.











Image credit: Esther Hovers




One of the photographs of my graduation project 'False Positives' is featured in today's paper. 

Dutch newspaper NRC Next.
In Beeld: 'Rennen, opsplitsen, stilstaan'.
July 3rd, 2015







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Esther Hovers



info [at] estherhovers.com

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In her practice, 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. She is interested in finding poetic translations for power structures and technological developments.

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 2019 Hovers was an artist-in-residence at NARS Foundation (The New York Art Residency and Studios) in Brooklyn, New York.
She is based in the Hague, the Netherlands.

© 2024 Esther Hovers