Photo Talks

For its 2025 edition, Rotterdam Photo, in partnership with Arminius, presents a dynamic series of Photo Talks and public discussions exploring the future of photography. Among the highlights are two headline events that delve into some of today’s most urgent and fascinating questions.

Photo Talk 1: How Does AI Affect Curation and Image Making?

Date: May 18, 16:00

Location: Arminius

As AI-generated photography and algorithm-driven curation continue to evolve, we ask: how will this affect us? Together with Mark Engelen, Marie Goto, Lisa Helder, Frits Gierstberg and Emre Namli, we will explore the growing influence of artificial intelligence on both curating and contemporary photography. What is the function of artificial intelligence? Could AI democratize creativity, enhance artistic expression, or does it risk diminishing personal authorship and authenticity? What is the evolving role of photographers and curators in an AI-driven landscape?

The discussion will be moderated by Tracy Metz.

Lisa Helder is a multidisciplinary creative from Amsterdam. She led the art direction for the opening show of 1/OFF Paris during Amsterdam Fashion Week and has collaborated extensively with the brand in recent years. Lately, her focus has shifted to AI-generated visuals, allowing her to bring previously unattainable fantasy worlds to life — pushing the boundaries of iimagination and realism. Through her talk AI in the Creative Industry and How to Enjoy It, she encourages young creatives to approach AI with curiosity, not fear. “You don’t have to use it, but knowing the basics can make a big difference”

Photo: Wouter le Luc

Emre Namli is the founder of Sixtynine Company, where he combines business strategy with creative vision. Leading Sixtynine Agency, he crafts marketing and branding solutions that help clients stand out in competitive landscapes. Through Sixtynine Digital, Emre researches how organizations—including those in the art world—can strategically implement AI to drive business growth and innovation. He brings a nuanced understanding of how AI can transform audience engagement, curation, and creating new experiences in the visual arts sector—all while maintaining the human connection that makes art meaningful.

Frits Gierstberg is a Rotterdam-based art historian. He has curated international exhibitions with photography, film and video. Gierstberg publishes regularly on international photography and is (co-) editor of a number of books about the history of photography and visual culture.

Mark Engelen has been working in almost all photographic fields of expertise, finding his muse in largely staged images. Besides working on project base for a variety of clients, Mark gives life to non-commissioned projects in which he challenges himself and questions his vision on photography. Always combined with a story he likes to tell. His overall work is characterized by a hybrid form combining photography, CGI and AI imagery.

Marie Goto is a photographer and visual artist from Tokyo, Japan. She is currently based in the Netherlands, and works as an Assistant Curator at FOAM Amsterdam.

Tracy Metz is a Dutch-American journalist, author, podcaster and moderator. She is originally from California, but has lived in the Netherlands for many years. She writes for the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad and the magazine De Architect. Tracy is also the director of the John Adams Institute, an independent foundation that provides a podium in the Netherlands for the best and brightest of American thinking.

Tickets and more information here

Photo Talk 2: Can Photography Rebuild Connection in a Divided World?

Date: May 22, 20:00

Location: Arminius

In a time of hyper-connectivity and growing social fragmentation, what role can photography play in restoring meaningful connection? More than just image-making, photography can be an act of sharing—of personal stories, collective memory, and visions of a future shaped by reimagined common values.

Together with Stacii Samidin, Laura Chen, Julia Gat, Yusser Al Obaidiand Sean Carlton White, we’ll explore how photography might bridge divides between polarized communities, open up space for dialogue, and contribute to healing societal fractures.

The discussion will be moderated by Nicky Angelina do Rosario and Otto Snoek.

Laura Chen is a Dutch photographer, collage artist and writer. Her practice is highly intuitive, experimental and playful. Within her work, research, implementation and intervention are closely intertwined. She often employs a mixed-media approach, combining image, text and analogue photomontage techniques. She is drawn to the obscurities and idiosyncrasies of mundane life, notions of impermanence, and a connection with the subconscious. Be it objects, places or people situated on the fringes of society — her images are tranquil observations of traces and rituals that often go unnoticed, are ignored or forgotten. Other recurring interests include: (science) fiction, surrealism, dreams, hauntology, memory, linguistics, genealogy, mythology, synchronicity and serendipity.

Sean Charlton White is a Swiss–British photographer, graphic designer, and artist. He is currently based in The Hague where he graduated from the Royal Academy of Art The Hague (KABK) in 2023 after completing a foundation year at ECAL. Through the use of humor, his work explores the intersections of documentary and fiction, often reflecting on society’s structures, media consumption and narratives, as well as environmental issues.
Alongside his artistic practice, he works as a photo editor and designer for The Wire magazine. He is also involved with the London-based publishing house Here Press, where he collaborates with Ben Weaver on editing, designing, and distributing photobooks.

Stacii Samidin is a Rotterdam-based documentary photographer and filmmaker. Raw honesty, radicalism, and unfamiliar territories are the foundation of Samidin’s continuous life’s work called Societies. At the core, is the essence of seeing, hearing and accepting a human being without prejudice and judgment. Documenting the lives of minorities, the oppressed and of those with unorthodox lifestyles all around the world. Creating a shift in the individual and collective consciousness by challenging our perception and raising the voices of the unheard through photography and film.

Julia Gat is a photographer, filmmaker, and co-founder of SOLAR, a collective representing women photographers based in Marseille. Blending documentary and portraiture, her work explores intimacy, freedom, and human relationships — capturing subtle narratives of our shared existence and timeless reflections on collective life, connection, and solitude. She develops long-term personal projects as well as editorial commissions.

Yusser al Obaidi is a decolonial feminist researcher, writer and graphic designer who seeks to acknowledge and enable the radical potential of intimate relational spaces. She is head of talent by fotodok.nl and a curator at the Gemaal op Zuid.