Podium MH - Marvel Harris, Noor Boiten and Tengbeh Kamara

In light of Marvel Harris' exhibition Inner Journey, Museum Hilversum is hosting an edition of Podium MH during Rainbow Week devoted entirely to photography for and by the LGBTQ+ community. Marvel Harris, Noor Boiten, and Tengbeh Kamara will talk about their work as image makers and artists. We will discuss celebrating one's identity, the importance of visibility, discretion, and the role of social media and digital spaces in representation.

Admission is free, book your visit here (event in Dutch): https://PodiumMH_14_oktober.eventbrite.nl

October 14 | 15:30 - 18:00 (reception from 15:00) | lecture and visit exhibition

Marvel Harris (b. 1995, He/Him) is a photographer born and raised in the Netherlands. His photography builds on his own personal development in a profound way. As a transgender person with autism who identifies as genderqueer, Harris addresses his challenges with mental health in his photography. During a period with an eating disorder and depression, Harris began capturing himself in order to process the emotions he couldn't adequately put into words. Photography helps him understand his own complex identity. The resulting self-portraits, which belong to the long-running project Inner Journey, communicate from raw honesty. In this autobiographical story, photography and life come together and he invites others to become part of his vulnerability and take a peek into his world of thought.

Harris graduated from the Dutch School of Photography in 2018. He won several awards, including first prize in the documentary category at the Zilveren Camera in 2018. Harris was selected by LensCulture as Emerging Talent in 2019 and by Foam as Foam Talent in 2022. His work has been exhibited at Foam and South London Gallery, among others. His book MARVEL (self-published, 2020) won the 2021 MACK First Book Award.

Tengbeh Kamara (b. 1996, They/Them) is a Dutch-Liberian photographer working in Amsterdam. Their work is characterized by strong and honest portraits of powerful people. Kamara´s artistic practice balances documentary, autobiographical, and politically engaged. As a black queer photographer, Kamara regularly documents their own experiences but also relates to social issues and identities beyond themselves.

Tengbeh Kamara is part of a new generation of photographers characterized by their inclusive and critical eye. Kamara makes visible what has been systematically ignored resulting in powerful and colorful photography. Kamara recently worked on the series Utopia and Queer Love in West Africa. Their work is currently on view in the 1998 Gay Games exhibition at the Amsterdam Museum and at New Dakota. In the past, Kamara has exhibited at the Natural History Museum and NDSM Fuse, among others. Their photography was also featured in the traveling exhibition 'I am bi+zonder'.

Noor Boiten (b. 1999, They/Them) is a visual artist from Rotterdam who graduated from the St. Joost School of Art & Design in Breda in 2023. Boiten questions contemporary themes of gender identity and mass consumption through the lens of our Internet culture. Their work uses the digital network as a means to create (as yet) invisible connections and challenges the audience to find their way in the multifaceted, crowded, and surprising environment of the Internet. Boiten's practice includes a combination of film, photography, and installation art.

Noor Boiten's work has been shown at BredaPhoto in 2022 and Utopias Lahti Visual Arts Festival in Finland, among others. Boiten has also been nominated for Steenbergen Stipendium 2023 and is participating in the talent development program FOTODOK Lighthouse in 2023/2024.