Unseen is the photography long-awaited annual rendez-vous in Amsterdam. A place where almost 70 galleries from all over the world gather and showcase artists from everywhere, every genre, making it a fair not to be missed. However, the challenge lies in the sheer volume and diversity of photography on display in the circular fair area. From the whimsical and ostentatious to the contemplative and classic, from the boundary-pushing (!) avant-garde to the soul-stirring and sensitive, from the brightest colours to the darkest black and white, Unseen offers a wide spectrum of photographic expressions. Consequently, visitors face the difficult task of making selections from this rich and broad tapestry of creativity. It is, of course, an inherently imperfect process, as by necessity, some exceptional artists will regrettably go unnoticed or unselected. Browsing through the galleries, from Paris to Istanbul, from Amsterdam to Cape Town, progressing in zigzag between the walls covered with photographs, I came across some remarkable artists, like Didier Engels and his accumulations of containers, largely unnoticed as an artistic object, or Jacob Aue Sobol of the prestigious Magnum agency, Jonas Bjerre Poulsen and his delicate compositions making me immediately think of Japan, Ali Bilge Akkaya and his uncertain architectural constructions extending beyond the limits of the photograph onto the frame, or Anna Lanza with her remarkable metaphysical landscapes. Unseen is a feast for the eyes and for the soul. I am looking forward to the 2024 edition.
