2026 Exhibition: Layered Realities: Photography & Collage

Fotomuseum Hilversum presents Layered Realities: Photography & Collage from 21 May onwards. 

The group exhibition features the work of fifteen contemporary artists from the Netherlands and abroad who work with collage. The exhibition brings together both established names and emerging artists, several of whom are being presented in the Netherlands for the first time. In this exhibition, the boundaries of photography are challenged through collage, and connected to different media, ranging from installation and video to sculptural work.

The artists use this visual language to explore pressing themes such as identity, (family) history and the role of images in a world saturated with visual information. Many of the works begin with the layered nature of the material itself: artists cut, stack and combine images. As a result, the photographic works become almost tactile – not only seen, but felt.

Collage as a Contemporary Visual Language

Collage emerged in the early twentieth century as a response to political and social unrest. Artists used images from newspapers and magazines to criticise politics, modern life and conservative ideas around gender. Collage became a way to protest and challenge existing ways of thinking. In Layered Realities, artists show how a new generation of makers is once again turning to collage to explore fresh perspectives on urgent contemporary issues. Using archival photographs and personal material, Thato Toeba and Guanyu Xu reveal that history is never fixed, but shaped by what we choose to show – and what we leave out. In the work of Michael Young and Samaa Abu Allaban, personal stories and memories come together, presenting identity as something made up of multiple layers. Other artists, such as Sara Bezovšek and Jaya Pelupessy, respond to the overwhelming stream of images we process every day. Noémie Goudal creates constructed environments that invite viewers to imagine scenarios that do not yet exist.

Participating Artists

Samaa Abu Allaban (PS/FR), Mercedes Azpilicueta (AR/NL), Ruth van Beek (NL), Sara Bezovšek (SI), Cortis & Sonderegger (CH), Frido Evers (NL/NO), Noémie Goudal (FR), Camille Lévêque & Lucie Khahoutian (FR/AM), Neo Matloga (ZA/NL), Jaya Pelupessy (NL), Sheida Soleimani (US), Thato Toeba (LS/ZA/NL), Justin Ugochukwu (NL), Guanyu Xu (CN/US) and Michael Young (US).

Curator: Fiepke van Niel

About Fotomuseum Hilversum

Fotomuseum Hilversum is the base for news- and documentary photography in the Netherlands. Through exhibitions and collaborations with partners such as the Zilveren Camera, World Press Photo and Het Perfecte Plaatje, the museum presents urgent stories to a broad audience. The museum also develops its own exhibitions, such as Layered Realities, exploring photography in relation to other disciplines and contemporary themes. 

Practical Information

Opening: Thursday 21 May 2026, 19.00 | Kerkbrink 6, Hilversum

Press Invitation

Press are warmly invited to attend the opening on Thursday 21 May from 19:00 onwards.

To RSVP, please contact: marguerite@fotomuseumhilversum.nl

Unable to attend on this date? Please feel free to get in touch to arrange a tour or introduction at the museum at another time.

New Worlds from Existing Images: International Group Exhibition on Collage and Photography at Fotomuseum Hilversum

www.fotomuseumhilversum.nl | @fotomuseum.hilversum | Kerkbrink 6, Hilversum