Exhibition texts for 'Eyes on Robert' in Melkweg Expo (ft. photography by Daan Couzijn)

EYES ON ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE REINTERPRETED BY CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHERS Robert Mapplethorpe: photographer, enfant terrible and queer. His transgressive work is characterized by an uncompromising curiosity for sexuality, the body and eroticism. His iconic nudes, celebrity portraits and documentation of New York’s S&M scene in the 1970s and ‘80s pushed artistic boundaries and broke taboos. How is sexuality represented in contemporary visual culture? With prudish values on the rise, Mapplethorpe’s work may now, 30 years after his death, be more relevant than ever. For the exhibition ‘Eyes on Robert’, Melkweg Expo, co-curated by Tjade Bouma, and Holland Festival have invited a diverse group of contemporary photographers to produce new work inspired by this influential photographer. Work by ARI VERSLUIS, DAAN COUZIJN, DUSTIN THIERRY, DYLAN VAN VLIET, FERRY VAN DER NAT, HENRI VERHOEF, MARTIJN MENDEL, VYTAUTAS KUMZA