Rather than striving for technical photographic perfection, Paul Kooiker (born 1964) finds the essence of his artistry in the curation and transformation of images rather than in individual shots. He intentionally adopts a “poor” photographic technique during his initial shoots, capturing hundreds of frames that frequently feature blur, grain, or overexposure. Once this raw, experimental archive is assembled, he shifts into the role of a visual artist, synthesizing the material into narrative “collections” presented through photo books and spatial installations. These curated sets evoke the aura of discarded artifacts discovered in a forgotten attic. To anchor these mysterious, often unsettling projects in a sense of realism, Kooiker maintains a strict aesthetic and formal coherence.
An alumnus of both the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam and the School of Photography in The Hague, Kooiker has been recognized with the A. Roland Holst Prize (2009) and the Prix de Rome (1996). Beyond his prolific exhibition history, spanning both domestic and international venues, he places significant emphasis on publishing. The concluding segment of his current exhibition highlights this dedication, showcasing an extensive array of artist books produced since 1999, largely in collaboration with Willem van Zoetendaal.
Furthermore, Kooiker’s artistic practice is examined in ‘Fotoverhalen’, a recent publication by the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag. Curated by Wim van Sinderen, the book offers a series of anecdotal explorations of 150 diverse photographs from the museum’s holdings, featuring artists ranging from Breitner and Breukel to Araki and Zwartjes. The publication is currently available for €29.50 at the museum shop as well as through major Dutch retailers.
www.ftn-books.com has a nice selection of Kooiker titles available.
