The yearly visit to the FotoFestival Naarden edition 2021 was a disappointment. At least, the offering in the vesting Naarden was just so-so. I don’t know what it was… a lower scale display, some local photographers, the topics, the artists… A few jewels were displayed in the gardens of the Comenius museum, like the works by Frank Rentink and Wim Banning. After a couple of hours of strolling through the beautiful location, I thought this was it for this time… But away from the vesting, there was a real exhibit in a former garden center, transformed for the occasion, before complete demolition, into a gallery. I was particularly attracted to the series “Fica Suave” from Sabine van Wechem. Sabine followed a young girl, Thay, in her daily life in the favela Vila Cruzeiro in Rio de Janeiro.I also enjoyed the haunting portraits of Maan Limburg, especially in the dimmed light of the location. Jorge Mañes Rubio, Cynthia van Elk and Milene van Arendonk also gave some remarkable pieces of work, in different styles and locations. These young artists made my day.
