From 13 September till 3 November, Breda will host the 11th edition of the biennial BredaPhoto Festival, the largest photographic exhibition in the Benelux. Side by side with young talents, top photographers will show their views on festival theme Journeys in industrial buildings, churches, residential houses, parks and the rugged development area ’t Zoet.
Dutch Design Daily highlights a number of Dutch participants during the festival period. Today: Joost Rutten.
Joost Rutten is a visual artist living and studying in Breda. His work explores themes of uncertainty, togetherness and isolation. In his artist’s practice, he mixes the real and the imaginary to create images that leave room for interpretation. BredaPhoto presents at outdoor location ’t Zoet his solo-exposition ‘The Distance Between One’.
Rutten’s project speaks to a search for togetherness and solace in today’s absurd world, which is changing faster and faster. As political tensions increase globally, ecological crises become more threatening and social dynamics become increasingly complex, many are left feeling isolated. From the growing gap between economic classes, the mental health crisis and alienation among young people to the rise of conspiracy theories, the artist is concerned that people are becoming estranged from one another. He experienced this himself since the start of the pandemic. As a young person, like many other young people in the Netherlands and around the world, he struggled with the enforced isolation and social distancing.
In this series, Rutten looks beyond his personal experiences and addresses themes of alienation and uncertainty through introspection. With humor and absurdism, he examines the way we humans interact with their surroundings and each other. He uses both improvised and staged elements in his images, attempting to create situations that are odd yet recognizable and leave room for the viewer’s imagination.
