Info — Ilse Frech

Biography

Visual artist, filmmaker and documentary photographer Ilse Frech (1972, Amsterdam) is of Dutch-Macedonian descent. She studied Photography (1990-94) at the Royal Academy of Art – KABK, The Hague. Obtained a Master of Arts HES-SO in Fine Arts and Contemporary Artistic Practices, Major Work.Master at HEAD – Genève, the Swiss University of Art and Design (2011-13). By then working internationally since 1995. Selected for World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass in 2003, she portrayed Muslim youth in Paris’ banlieues, in a series titled Private Life, for which she received a nomination for the ICP Infinity Award for Documentary and Photojournalism. 2005 Onwards Frech pursued working with Muslim women in Paris’ banlieues, resulting in a solo-exhibition and monograph I Am – Paradox Identity, further a documentary film, I Am. My Islam. My France., a colorful mosaic of five young Muslim women offering an intimate glance through the façade of concrete, premiering at the Institut Néerlandais, Paris – Mois de la Photo 2008. The film was selected for IWAB South-Korea, Incheon Women Artists’ Biennal 2009. Residing in Paris, she worked in Russia during a timespan of two years (2005-2007), creating Nika, Russia LOVE: an essayistic documentary portrait in photography and in video, of Nika and her innercircle of friends; Russian and seropositive (HIV+).

In 2010 Frech realised Zjeitu commissioned by The Rijksmuseum and NRC Handelsblad on behalf of the annual photography commission ‘Document Nederland’, as a result photographs of the project are conserved in The Rijksmuseum’s Photography Collection: Zjeitu, a sultry portrait of the Dutch Antilles, exhibited at De Kunsthal, Rotterdam (2010-11). With its annual commission the Rijksmuseum intends to highlight subjects of relevance to contemporary Dutch society with the aim of documenting history as it unfolds. Sweet Terror of Memory – ΨΙΘΥΡΟΙ (2018, 15′) is a short fiction-, experimental documentary film, a visual poem and triptych of historical- and fictional narrative based upon her Aegean Macedonian mothers’ biography, exile of The Greek Civil War (1946-48), unlocking genealogical heritage of trauma. Sweet Terror of Memory – ΨΙΘΥΡΟΙ had its premiere at the Nederlands Film Festival in Utrecht, September 2018. The film had been selected both for the Short Film Corner, Festival de Cannes in 2018, as well as in 2019 by Visions du Réel Festival International de cinéma Nyon (Switzerland), for its Media Library.

Poems for A Scenario is an assemblage of poetry and prose written by Frech whereupon the filmscript for Sweet terror of Memory was assembled, of which Blank | Hiroshima Mon Amour, was firstly published by Rusted Radishes, the Beirut Literary and Art Journal, issue no. 5/ 2016: ‘The Political City’. Part of Exile: Belonging (2011-14): An artistic research project functioning as a creative space where identity related to political heritage, the imprint of war, exile and trauma, associated with mythology, legend and body-memory are entwined with documentary, re-enactment and fiction translated into audiovisual-installations, video works, photography, performances and poetry. Artist in residence for three months in 2016 at Ashkal Alwan, Beirut – The Lebanese Association for Plastic Arts, in affiliation with Mondriaan Fund (NL), during which she researched Lebanese war trauma and its multiple carriers of memory, resulting in a twofold outcome: Fugacious Presence, a collaborative, improvisational performance and audiovisual installation, presented at Ashkal Alwan (27/05/16), besides ‘One’, A Letter to Eternity, concept for an interdisciplinary film-& visual art project, one of several projects in progress that Ilse Frech is currently developing and researching.

Frech recently participated in a 3-week Summer Programme at the University of Amsterdam – Graduate School of Social Sciences, “Arcane Worlds: New Frontiers in the Study of Esotericism”, offered in cooperation with the Centre for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents, the world’s leading institute for academic research and teaching in the field of (western) esotericism, located at the University of Amsterdam.

Curriculum vitae

EDUCATION VISUAL ARTS

2013-2011 Master of Arts HES-SO in Fine Arts, Work.Master – Contemporary Artistic Practices, University of Art & Design, HEAD – Genève, Switzerland. MFA Thesis: Image as Language – Language as Image (2013).

1996-1995 MA Photography (1st year) at St. Joost Academy School of Art & Design – AKV, Breda, The Netherlands

1995-1994 Masterclass Photography, Royal Academy of Art – KABK, The Hague, The Netherlands

1994-1990 BA Photography, Royal Academy of Art – KABK, The Hague, The Netherlands

– ADDITIONAL EDUCATION FILM

2018-2017 Cinematography, Camera College Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands

– PARTICIPATION SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS VISUAL ARTS

2017 Masterclass Zach Blas at Rijksacademie, Sonic Acts Festival.

2016 Sonic Acts Masterclass Maryanne Amacher Archives: The Mini Sound Series” (Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam).

2015 June 4-23 Study Program Art & The Politics of Estrangement at Summer Institute of Art. Direction Warren Neidich and Barry Schwabsky, affiliated with the European Graduate School, Saas-Fee, Switzerland.

2011 Masterclass Multimedia Storytelling for Photographers, PhotoStories NFM Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

2003 Joop Swart Masterclass participant; World Press Photo, The Netherlands.

– PROGRAMMES STUDY DIVERS & INDIVIDUAL TRAJECTORIES 2023-22

2023 UvA Graduate School of Social Sciences – Summer Programmes: Arcane Worlds: New Frontiers in the Study of Esotericism. The 3-week course is offered in cooperation with the Centre for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents, the world’s leading institute for academic research and teaching in the field of (western) esotericism, located at the University of Amsterdam.

2022 Script Academy Scenario Basic Training (6/d), partially supported by The Netherlands Film Fund.

2022 LinC A; Individual learning- & coaching trajectory at the Creative Humanities Academy, University Utrecht.

2022 Interview Training – Camera/Radio (2/d) at Character Training, Hilversum.

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

2016 Ashkal Alwan, Beirut, Lebanon (1/03/16 – 31/05/16) – Mondriaan Foundation & Ashkal Alwan.

2006-2005 Atelier Holsboer, Paris, France (04/04/2005 – 27/03/2006) Fonds BKVB, The Netherlands.

COLLECTION: MUSEUM

2012 Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland: “I Am – Paradox Identity”, acquisition Monograph: SET-Collection.

2010 Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Photography Collection “Zjeitu”, Document Nederland. Commissioned by the Rijksmuseum and NRC Handelsblad 2009/2010.

MONOGRAPH

2008 I Am – Paradox Identity: Concept design, photography, editing and interviews by Ilse Frech. Essays written by Leïla Sebbar & Habiba Mahany (France). Graphic Design; Mevis & van Deursen & Felix Weigand. Episode Publishers. Bilingual edition of 1000 copies (French – English).

BOOK AWARD

2008 I Am – Paradox Identity was awarded Best Book Design, 2008, The Netherlands.

FILMOGRAPHY

2018 Sweet Terror of Memory – ΨΙΘΥΡΟΙ (2018, 15′) Short Film, Fiction/Experimental non-fiction (English, Greek, German; English subtitles)

2018 Sweet Terror of Memory – ΨΙΘΥΡΟΙ: Official Selection Nederlands Film Festival, Utrecht (The Netherlands): Non-competition programme.

2008 I Am, My Islam, My France. (2008, 48’) Feature Film, Documentary (French; English subt.)

FILMOGRAPHY FILM SCREENING INTERNATIONAL FILMFESTIVAL SELECTIONS & INT. ART BIENNALS

2019 Sweet terror of Memory – ΨΙΘΥΡΟΙ Visions du Réel, International Filmfestival Nyon, Switzerland: Online Media Library (sales).

2018 Sweet Terror of Memory – ΨΙΘΥΡΟΙ at IFF Kinenova Skopje, North-Macedonia: International Short Film Competition.

2018 Sweet Terror of Memory – ΨΙΘΥΡΟΙ at Festival de Cannes: Short Film Corner, professional-market screening.

2009 I Am. My Islam. My France at IWAB – Incheon Women Artists’ Biennale South-Korea, The Tuning exhibition: “The 21st Century, The Feminine Century and the Century of Diversity and Hope”, commissioned by Heng-Gil Han (New York – USA).

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2011 “I Am – Paradox Identity” at Espace Quai #1, Vevey, Switzerland (12/10/2011 – 26/11/2011). I Am – Paradox Identity was chosen from 800 portfolios, at the occasion of the 8th Vevey International Photo Award.

2011-2010“ZJEITU”, Document Nederland, Het Rijksmuseum. Exhibited at De Kunsthal, Rotterdam (NL).

2010 “I Am, Identités pluri-Elles” | “I Am – Paradox Identity” at Boutographies Photo Festival Montpellier, France.

2009 “I Am, Identités pluri-Elles” | “I Am – Paradox Identity” at Poitiers Festival “Ciné, Divers-Cité“, France.

2008 “I Am, Identités pluri-Elles | “I Am- Paradox Identity”, Institut Néerlandais, Mois de la Photo 2008, Paris, France.

2001 “Children of the Balkans” at Photo Festival Naarden, The Netherlands.

2000 Gallery 2 1/2 4 1/2, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

GROUP EXHIBITIONS: A SELECTION

2015 rock rock rock a rock, “Art and the Politics of Estrangement”, theoretical program at the Saas-Fee Summer Institute of Art (affiliated to The European Graduate School, Saas-Fee) Switzerland – resulting in a group-exhibition.

2009 “I Am – Paradox Identity” at Gallery Snull9 Mannheim (DE) Installation: “Die Favoriten” FO3 at Fotofestival Mannheim-Ludwigshafen-Heidelberg.

2009 “I Am – Paradox Identity” at Athens Photo Festival, Athens (GR): “Brave New World”.

2008 Het Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam “M-Photo: Photojournalism on the highest level”.

2008 “I Am – Paradox Identity” at “PHE 2008 Descubrimientos” (SP)| Portfolio Review Photography.

2007 “I Am – Paradox Identity” at Fonds BKVB, Amsterdam: “034 Toekenningen” Presentation of project, work in progress.

2005 “Nika, Russia LOVE” at Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, France: “Est-ce que ainsi les hommes vivent”, curated by Gabriel Bauret.

2003-2004 “Private Life” at FOAM, the Netherlands: Joop Swart Masterclass, World Press Photo 2003 (06-11-03/ 11-01-04): “Enough”.

2003 “Children from the Balkans” at La Galerie du Centre Iris, Paris, France: “Histoire d’Enfants” (16-01-03/25-03-03).

WRITING

2013 MFA HES-SO, HEAD-Genève University of Art & Design, Work.Master, major Visual Arts & Contemporary Artistic Practices, Thesis: Image as Language – Language as Image.

I AM – PARADOX IDENTITY: COLLECTIONS, PUBLICATIONS & EXHIBITIONS

2019 Le Livre d’Images – Un dictionnaire d’expériences visuelles; Images Vevey, Koenig Books Ltd London – At the Serpentine Gallery.

2012 Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland – Collection exhibited: “Young People”.

2011 Nederlands Fotomuseum (NFM), Rotterdam: “Feast of the Photobook, The Dutch Photobook since 1945”.

2011 Beijing Bookfair + Design Fair China: 120 titles of Dutch artists, designers & architects selected by Fonds BKVB.

2010 NFM (Nederlands Foto Museum), Rotterdam: “Pages” by FW. Best Dutch photography books published; ‘QuickScan’.

2009 “Look 3 Book Exhibits” – Charlottesville, USA.

2009 “33 Best designed books” 2008, The Netherlands.

SELECTION OF PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENT & RESEARCH: FILM

Present (– 2016): ‘One’, A Letter to Eternity, geographical area of interest Middle-East, North-Africa and Europe. Research complies fields of: Archaeology, Philosophy, Art History, Hermeticism, Archaeoastronmy, Cosmology, Astronomy in connotation with the Mediterranean basin and its history and influence, as a two-way flow cultural influencer since antiquity.

PROJECTS

2018 “Sweet terror of Memory – ΨΙΘΥΡΟΙ”; Short Film, Fiction /Experimental/Non-fiction; oral history, re-enactment, poetry. Related to thematic research project: “Exile: Belonging”.

2017 – 2011 “Exile: Belonging”; Performative audiovisual works, consisting of a series of video-poems, photographic essays, prose, poetry, performance, interviews, audio-visual installation, performed testimonies.

2014 “Caged Birds of Paradise” | Exile; Macedonia: Pursuit of photographic document (1995-). Related to thematic research project: “Exile: Belonging”.

2012 “Words of Memory”| Exile : Lecture-performances of testimonies of Jewish women, survivors of the Holocaust. Performed in Germany, France and Switzerland (English, German). Part of MA HES-SO, HEAD-Genève Work.Master program. Recordings performed by Swiss actresses. Created within the context of the thematic research project: “Exile: Belonging”.

2010 Document Nederland: “ZJEITU” Rijksmuseum & NRC Handelsblad. Documentary photography & online archive website with podcasts, photographs, video-fragments and written content. Concept by Ilse Frech. Design & drawings Kalle Mattson. Editing & podcasts Miriam Sluis (NRC Handelsblad). A visual account on historic and present identity, individuals and their characters – most notably women representing the strong felt presence of matriarchal culture of the Antilles, portrayed on the eve of autonomy.

2008-2005 “I Am – Paradox Identity”. Documentary photography & audio-recordings, interviews, mobile-selfies collection, soundscape and documentary feature film (video). An in-depth mosaic of portraits of Muslim women in Paris’ suburbs, ‘banlieues’, France.

2007-2005 “Nika Russia LOVE”. Documentary photography, interviews, audio-recordings, personal video-diary: Portrait of Nika, Russian and seropositive.

2003 “Private life”. Photographs, interviews, music. Documenting Muslim youth in the suburbs of Paris and Marseille (FR).

2002 “Oxana and Dima”. Photographic documentary essay of one day in the life of a young couple in love (HIV +, ex-drug addicts, RU).

2000 “Children from the Balkans”. Photography: Muslim refugees from Srebrenica, portrayed in shelter-homes and refugee-settlements in Tuzla, Bosnia. Portraits of Roma children from Sutka, the largest Roman-community, Skopje, Macedonia.

2000 Bosnian Muslim war-refugees, families from Srebrenica. Photography and audio-recorded and transcribed personal testimonies of the war, recorded at home and at asylum centres, across the Netherlands.

VIDEO WORKS IN CONCEPT

2017-14 Diptych Series 01-04, “Sweet terror of Memory”, Concept II, for a film-installation. Walk-through (2014, 4’20), 3D-Videodesign Concept I, for a film-installation.

– “A Russian Tale {of Love}”, Documentary Video-journal

INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS

2019 Le Livre d’Images – dictionnaire d’expériences visuelles de A à Z, by IMAGES Vevey and Koenig Books Ltd London – At the Serpentine Gallery.

2017 RIJKSMUSEUM Studies in Photography: Document Nederland, Author Rixt A. Bosma, Vol. 17 – 2017.

2016 Rusted Radishes, Beirut Literary and Art Journal. Poem by Ilse Frech: “Blank|Hiroshima Mon Amour”, part of film “Sweet Terror of Memory” and “Exile” project.

2014 RIJKSMUSEUM ‘MODERN TIMES’ Photography in the 20th Century (highlights from the Rijksmuseum’s Photography Collection) Edition: Rijksmuseum NAI010. Authors: Mattie Boom & Hans Rooseboom, curators Photography Rijksmuseum.

EDITORIAL RELATED TO DOCUMENTARY PROJECTS SELECTION 2016-2001

Clients: Trouw, De Volkskrant, BLVD, Vrij Nederland, FOCUS, FOAM Magazine, P/F, Het Parool, De Nieuwe Revu, IM [Identity Matters], De Journalist, NRC Handelsblad, Source, NEXUS nr. 48, Area Revue)s, Le Monde/2, Réponses Photo, Azart Photo, Pam Loisirs, Images Magazine, Connaissance des Arts, Le Journal du Dimanche, La Photographie, Télérama, Le Figaro, Time Lightbox (USA), Vision Magazine (China), Neuland (SUI), Camera Austria (in collaboration with Michèle Hadria-Cohen, writer and critic).

AWARDS & FINALIST PHOTOGRAPHY SERIES

2009 “33 Best designed books” 2008 (NL), for “I Am – Paradox Identity”.

2009 Favorite portfolio at the portfolio-review of FO3 Photo Festival Mannheim-Ludwigshafen-Heidelberg, Germany, resulting in group exhibition ‘Die Favoriten’ at Pilot Galerie S Null Neun, Mannheim (DE), for “I Am – Paradox Identity”.

2008 PhotoEspagna Descrubrimientos | PHE 08 FINALISTS, for “I Am – Paradox Identity”.

2004 & 2003 De Zilveren Camera (NL): 1st Single Foreign Documentary & Series, categorie Art, Culture, Architecture & Technics.

2002 PAN-L (Photographers Association of The Netherlands): Silver Award Documentary Photography, for “Children from the Balkans”.

NOMINATIONS SHORTLISTED

2018 Athens Photo Festival (GR), for “Caged Birds of Paradise”.

2015 SOLAS Photography Prize (IR), for “Caged Birds of Paradise”.

NOMINATIONS

2015 SO-Prize, DuPho – Dutch Association for Professional Photographers (NL), for “Caged Birds of Paradise”.

2009 VOIES OFF Festival, Rencontres d’Arles – Photography Festival (FR), for “I Am – Paradox Identity”.

2004 ICP INFINITY AWARD for PHOTOJOURNALISM, New York (USA), for “Private Life”. Nominated by Charlotte Cotton, Curator Photography at the time at Victoria and Albert Museum, London (UK).

SELECTION SPECIAL PROGRAMS, Film & Photography PORTFOLIO REVIEWS, PITCH PROGRAMS

2010 PLAT(T)FORM 10, Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland. Portfolio-presentation emerging artists-photographers.

2009 The Match Making Selection Workshop, at Documentary in Europe, Bardonecchia, Italy (08-07/11-07-09).

PRESENT JOBTITLE (FREELANCE)

– 2023 (since 2018): Advisor, Individual/ Project Subsidies – AFK / Amsterdam Fund for the Arts; Visual Arts, Photography, Design & New Media.

PAST JOBTITLES (FREELANCE)

2022 (3/mo): Film Expert, European Commission EACEA – Creative MEDIA; Unit CODEV 2023 Support – Education, Audiovisual & Culture.

2020 (4/mo): Film Expert, European Commission EACEA – Creative MEDIA; Unit Slate Support – Education, Audiovisual & Culture.

2019 (4/mo): Film Expert, European Commission EACEA – Creative MEDIA; Unit Slate Support – Education, Audiovisual & Culture.

COACHING | TEACHING, GUEST LECTURES – SELECTION

2017-2015 Coaching and mentoring personal projects: Concept development & identity; Visual Art, Photography, Bookdesign.

2016-2013 Mentor Beeldende Kunst Cultuur & Ondernemen.

2016-2014 Teaching Photography & Identity | Portfolio assemblage and the art of editing, Photo Academy Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

2010/10 Cambridge University of Art, UK: artist talk & presentation, Q&A.

2003/11 University of Haarlem- the Netherlands; guest lecture photography and teaching.

2002 Royal Academy of the Arts, KABK, The Hague / Academy of Art and Design, ’s Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. One week workshop Photography and engagement: “observe-record-connect”.

SCHOLARSHIPS

2021 Mondriaan Fund

2012-2011 MFA Study, Mondriaan Fund

2010 Commission / The Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture, Amsterdam (Fund BKVB)

2008 The Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture, Amsterdam (Fund BKVB)

2007-2006 The Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture, Amsterdam (Fund BKVB)

2005-2004 Amsterdam Fund of the Arts, Amsterdam (AFK)

2003 Foundation for Special Journalistic Projects, Amsterdam (FBJP)

2002-2001 The Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture, Amsterdam (Fund BKVB)

2000 Foundation for Special Journalistic Projects, Amsterdam (FBJP)

02-20/July 2023

Participation 3-week Summer Programme at the University of Amsterdam – Graduate School of Social Sciences: Arcane Worlds: New Frontiers in the Study of Esotericism, offered in cooperation with the Centre for the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents, the world’s leading institute for academic research and teaching in the field of (western) esotericism, located at the University of Amsterdam.

05-13/ April 2019

Sweet Terror of Memory – ΨΙΘΥΡΟΙ is selected by Visions du Réel, Festival International de cinéma Nyon, Switzerland: Visions du Réel Media Library

29/ September 2018

National Premiere: Sweet Terror of Memory – ΨΙΘΥΡΟΙ, Nederlands Film Festival (Utrecht), Official Selection Short Film Programme.

06/ October 2018

European Premiere: Sweet Terror of Memory – ΨΙΘΥΡΟΙ screened at IFF Kinenova, International Film Festival Skopje, North- Macedonia, nominated for the International Short Film Competition.

See overview previous editions industry catalogue Visions du Réel Festival.

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Contact & ©

Ilse Frech, Visual Art, Film & Photography – FRECHFILMS
Cellphone: +31 (0)6 51 47 52 56

Inquiries: mail@ilsefrech.com

Memberships: VEVAM , DuPho, DDG Profile memberspage.

Ilse Frech © 2022 DISCLAIMER: All images and texts on this website are copyright protected by the author, Ilse Frech. Copyrightholders – other than Ilse Frech, have been specified, when applicable. In case you’d like to refer to my work regarding research of any interdisciplinary field of interest, please send inquiries to mail@ilsefrech.com

The lay-out of each projectpage has been created and assembled by Ilse Frech, copyright-owner and author of all imagery and texts. The color palette is taken from the Architectural Polychromy by Le Corbusier.

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