About

Awoiska van der Molen (Netherlands, 1972) is known for her monochrome analogue landscape images. Her work stems from an interest in the intangible, psychological qualities of her subjects. She studied Architecture & Design before pursuing photography at Minerva Art Academy in Groningen and Hunter College, City University of New York. In 2003, she completed her MFA in Photography at St. Joost Academy in Breda, Netherlands.

Her most recent solo exhibition was held at Huis Marseille, Museum for Photography in Amsterdam, in 2024, presenting her window series The Humanness of Our Lonely Selves, Furthermore, her work has been exhibited at numerous international institutions, including Pier 24 Photography in San Francisco, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Kunsthalle Mannheim, The Photographers' Gallery in London, FOAM in Amsterdam, Kyotographie in Kyoto, Musei Civici in Reggio Emilia, and FOMU in Antwerp.

Van der Molen’s latest book, The Humanness of Our Lonely Selves, was shortlisted for PhotoBook of the Year for the Paris Photo-Aperture Prize in 2024. In 2019, her work was shortlisted for the Prix Pictet Award, and in 2017, for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize. She received the Larry Sultan Photography Award in 2017 and won the Hariban Benrido Award in 2014.

In recent years she has collaborated with internationally renowned composers of contemporary music such as the Greek Calliope Tsoupaki and Austrian Thomas Larcher, whereby the music and her video installations are mutually inspired and created and performed at venues such as The Royal Concerthall in Amsterdam and Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. In 2024, she collaborated with the Nuremberg-based ensemble Kontraste, creating a visual installation for the music of composer Morton Feldman’s Piano and String Quartet.

EDUCATION

2001-2003 MFA Photography Post St. Joost Breda, NL
1999-2000 Hunter City University New York, US
1998-2001 Minerva Art Academy Photography, Groningen, NL
1994-1997 Minerva Art Academy Architecture & Design, Groningen, NL

Solo Exhibitions

2024
Huis Marseille Museum for Photography 'The Humanness of Our Lonely Selves', Amsterdam
Ensemble Kontraste 'Piano and string Quartet' Video installation in concert Morten Feldman, Nürnberg, GE

2023
Unseen Photo Fair The Prelude, glasswork series
The Living Mountain Video installation in concert icw Composer Thomas Larcher, Ensemble Kontraste. Nürnberg, GE

2022
Royal Concerthall  'The Living Mountain', Video installation in concert icw Composer: Thomas Larcher, Asko|Schönberg Ensemble, Amsterdam
Simone Klein Kunstraum 'Nature works', Cologne,DL
Marsell Paradise ‘Spontaneum’ icw Piet Oudolf garden, Milan, IT
Elbphilharmonie 'The Living Mountain' Visual installation in concert icw Composer: Thomas Larcher, Münchener Kammerorchester, Hamburg

2021
Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ  'Odysseus' Visual installation in concert icw Composer Laureate Calliope Tsoupaki. Asko|Schönberg, Amsterdam
Tivoli Vredenburg 'Odysseus' Visual installation in concert icw Composer Laureate Calliope Tsoupaki, Asko|Schönberg Ensemble, Utrecht
De Doelen 'Odysseus'  icw Composer Laureate Calliope Tsoupaki, Asko Schönberg Ensemble, Amsterdam
Burgerweeshuis Kunstcollectie The Great Unconformity / (Un)earth
Noorderlicht Photography (Un)earth, duo with Bart Lunenburg

2019 
Museum Kranenburgh Tempus. Bergen, NL
Annet Gelink Gallery Am schwarzen Himmelsrund. Amsterdam

2018
Casemore Kirkeby Gallery Status. San Francisco, US

2016  
FOAM Fotografie Museum Blanco, Amsterdam
Unseen Photo Fair  Amsterdam
Purdy Hicks Gallery London, UK

2015  
Unseen Photo Fair Kristof De Clercq gallery. Amsterdam
Kousei-In Sequester in Collotypes. Kyoto, JAP

2006 - 2014
Wetering Galerie Amsterdam
Cultuurcentrum Hasselt BE
Alt. +1000 High Altitude, curator nathalie Herschdorfer, Rossiniere, CH
FOAM 3h Maintained Ground, Amsterdam
Natuur Museum Groningen Portretten: jongeren aan het einde van de wereld. Groningen, NL

Group Exhibitions

2024
Musei Civici Luigi Ghirri. Zone di passaggio, Rggio Emilia, IT (until Mar 2025)
Musée des Beaux-Arts Mulhouse Biennale Mulhouse, FR
Musea Brugge Rebel Garden, Brugge, BE
Museum de Fundatie Noordelijk Licht, Zwolle, NL

2023
Pier 24 Photography Looking Forward, San Francisco, US

2022
San Telmo Museum 3X4=ORAIN, San Sebastian, ES
Cortona on the Move / Al'Ula, Cortona, IT
CODA Museum Inside the Outside, Apeldoorn, NL
Valetta Contemporary Those eyes - these eyes - they fade, Malta
Kunsthalle Mannheim Biennale für aktuelle Fotografie 'The Living Mountain', Mannheim, GE

2021
Into Nature Glassworks, Art Biennale Bargerveen, Drenthe, NL
Shanghai Centre of Photography Prix Pictet Award, Shanghai
Fondazione Sozzani Prix Pictet Award, Milan, IT

2020
Le lieu unique On Earth, Nantes, FR
Project space on the inside In Search of the Miraculous, Amsterdam
EPFL ArtLab Prix Pictet Award, Lausanne, CH
Annet Gelink Gallery New Reproductions, Amsterdam
De Pont Pictures from Another Wall, Tilburg, NL
FOAM On Earth, Amsterdam
Mouravieff-Apostol Museum Prix Pictet Award, Moscow
Luma Westbau Prix Pictet Award, Zurich, CH

2019
Victoria & Albert Museum Prix Pictet Award, London, UK
Fotomuseum Den Haag La Soupe de Daguerre, Den Haag, NL
Pier 24 Photography Looking Back, San Francisco, US
Les Rencontre d' Arles On Earth, Atelier des Forges, Arles, FR
Out of Sight Two man standing. Part 2, Antwerp, BE

2018
FOAM Works from the Foam Collection, Amsterdam, NL
Victoria & Albert Museum Into the Woods: Trees in Photography, London, UK
Huize Fraenkendael The Image of a Private Collection, Amsterdam, NL

2017
Aperture Foundation Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, New York, US
Museum für Moderne Kunst Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, Frankfurt, DE
The Photographers Gallery Deutsche Börse Photography Prize,  London, UK
Pier 24 Photography The Grain of the Present, San Francisco, US
Garage Rotterdam How to disappear completely, Rotterdam, NL


2016  
The Hague Museum of Photography Nacht ontwaakt, Den Haag, NL
Kranenburgh Museum Black. curator mariete Dolle, From charcoal to high-res, Bergen, NL
The Library Project Phototropism, Dublin, IE
Dubai Photo Exhibition curator Els Barents, Dubai, UAE
Stedelijk Museum Addition, schenking Piet & Marieke Sanders, Amsterdam, NL

2015
FoMu Antwerpen My Flat Land: on photography and landscape, curator Joachim Naudts, Antwerp, BE
Stedelijk Museum The Best Dutch Book Designs 2014, Amsterdam, NL
Espace Vessy, Glaciers en péril & Alt.+1000, Vessey, CH

2014  
Musee des-Beaux-Arts L’Art, c'est le livre, Le Locle, CH
GEM Museum of Contemporary Art Fotoverhalen, Den Haag, NL
Kristof de Clercq Gallery Ghent, BE
Stedelijk Museum De Best Verzorgde Boeken, Amsterdam, NL

2013  
Huis Marseille The Rediscovery of the World, curator Els Barents, Nanda vd Berg, Amsterdam, NL
Museum Kranenburgh Wonder, Bergen, NL
Wetering Galerie The last Picture Show, Amsterdam, NL

2012  
Noorderlicht 'Pays/Paysage Land/Landscape Pays/Paysage (duo w. Rob Nypels), Groningen, NL

2011  
Foam Amsterdam Pop in, Amsterdam, NL
Wetering Gallery (duo w. Wijnanda De Roo), Amsterdam, NL

2010  
DZ Bank Frankfurt A Touch of Dutch, curator Els Barents, Frankfurt, DE
Nederlands Fotomuseum Rotterdam Quickscan #01, curator Frits Gierstberg, Rotterdam, NL
Central Museum Utrecht In your Face, icw Fonds BKVB  Utrecht, NL
25th Nadežda Petroviæ Memorial Possibilities of Choice, Ĉaĉak, SRB

2009  
GEM Museum of Contemporary Art curator W. van Sinderen, Still lives, Den Haag, NL
Gallery Lacen I spy with my little eye, Paris, FR

2008  
Museum de Fundatie Isala Klinieken, Zwolle, NL
Wetering Galerie Drawings and photographs, Amsterdam, NL
Rencontres de la Photographie d'Arles Dutch selection Nuit d' Europe, Arles, FR
Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Descubrimientos PHE, Madrid, ES
TENT. Rotterdam La Luna Piena,  curator Mariette Dolle, Rotterdam, NL

2007  
CBK Rotterdam Macht van de Nacht, Rotterdam, NL
Loods 6 De Bagagehal, De Salon, Amsterdam, NL
Historic Museum Rotterdam Inspiratie Rotterdam, Rotterdam, NL
Resy Muijsers Contemporary Art Gallery Tilburg, NL

2006  
GEM - Museum of Cont. Art Met Stip, icm Fonds BKVB, Den Haag, NL

2004  
Fotomuseum Den Haag De Donkere Camera ( w Dirk Braeckman, Michael Ackerman), Den Haag, NL
Amsterdam Art Fair 12 portretten voor de Haagse Schouwburg, Amsterdam, NL

2003  
Photofestival Naarden Civilians in Uniform, Naarden, NL
B92-REX Civilians in Uniform, Belgrade, SRB

2001  
Noorderlicht Fotomanifestatie satellite program, Groningen, NL
Bertha - Karl Leubsdorf Gallery Think one way, New York, US

Awards / Nominations

Shortlist  Paris Photo–Aperture Award Photobook of the Year: Humanness of our Lonely Selves 2024
The Best Dutch Book Designs: The Living Mountain 2021
Shortlist  Prix Pictet Global award in photography and sustainability  UK, 2019 
Shortlist  Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize  (for exhibition 'Blanco') London, 2017
Recipient  Larry Sultan Photography Award  San Francisco, 2017
AIR Headlands Centre for the Arts  San Francisco 2017
Shortlist Meijburg Art Commission | Unseen prize Amsterdam, 2016
Silver Medal Best Books from all over the World: Sequester Leipzig, 2015
Shortlist Paris Photo-Aperture First Book Prize: Sequester 2014
Winner  Hariban Award - Benrido collotype atelier, Kyoto, 2014
Winner  Harry Pennings Prize - Eindhoven, 2012
Finalist  Hyères International Festival of Fashion & Photography Hyeres, 2011
Winner  Alt.+1000 - Festival Photography Montagne, Rossiniere, 2011
Residency / Grant: Lyset I Varanger Vadso, 2009
Finalist Descubrimientos, Photo Espana Madrid, 2008
Finalist Plat(t)form 08, Fotomuseum Winterthur Winterthur, 2008
Nomination Core of Industry, Int. photography Award Reggio Emilia, 2008

Collections

Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
Huis Marseille - Museum for Photography, Amsterdam
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
De Young Museum, San Francisco
Kranenburgh Museum, Bergen, NL
Kunstmuseum Den Haag
Fotocollectie Universiteit Leiden
FOAM, Amsterdam
The McEvoy Foundation for the Arts, San Francisco
The Museum of Photography Seoul
De Brauw Collection, Amsterdam
Neuflize Vie ABN AMRO, Paris
Collectie min van Buitenlandse Zaken
Isala Kunst Collectie, Zwolle
ING Collection, Amsterdam
Rabo Kunstcollectie
and various private collectors

Lectures & Artist Visits

(selection)
Ecole Supérieure CEPV Visiting lecturer, workshop. Vevey CH 2024
Pakhuis De Zwijger 'Fotokroniek', Amsterdam, 2024
Charcoal Chico Review speaker. Montana US, 2024
Ecole Supérieure CEPV Visiting lecturer, workshop. Vevey CH 2023
Benrido Hariban Award, Jury. Kyoto 2023
Cortona on the Move Artists talk, Cortona IT, 2022
The Mondriaan Fund Advisory committee. Amsterdam 2020 + 2021
Ecole Supérieure CEPV Visiting lecturer, workshop.Vevey CH 2021
Victoria & Albert Museum Prix Pictet Artists in Conversation. London 2019
Ecole Supérieure CEPV Visiting lecturer + workshop. Vevey CH 2019
Skinnerboox Book Award Jury, Jesi IT 2019
Hartfort NY photography MFA Visiting lecturer. Berlin 2019
Gerrit Rietveld Academie Visiting lecturer. Amsterdam 2018
Museo San Telmo Lecture and Workshop. San Sebastian ES, 2018
Ecole Supérieure CEPV Visiting lecturer + workshop, Vevey CH 2018
California College o/t Arts Lecture: Larry Sultan Visiting Program. San Francisco 2017
De Donkere Kamer Artist talk, Brugge, Belgium 2017
Fotodok In conversation with Rob Hornstra. Utrecht 2017
The Photographers' Gallery in conversation with Anna Dannemann. London 2017
Ecole Supérieure CEPV Visiting lecturer / workshop, Vevey CH 2017
Centraal Museum Artist Talk on Cragie Horsfield, Utrecht, NL 2017
Hartfort NY photography MFA Visiting lecturer, Berlin 2016
AKI School of Arts External examiner, Eindhoven, NL 2016
Photobook Melbourne Gallery Artist talk, Melbourne 2016
FOAM Amsterdam Lecture ‘Sensing the Landscape’ 2016
De Donkere Kamer Artist talk, Antwerp 2016
UNSEEN Photo fair ‘Premiere Talk’ with Kim Knoppers, Amsterdam 2015
Minerva Art Academy Visiting lecturer, Groningen 2015
De Donkere Kamer Artist talk, Rotterdam 2013

Press

(click)
Conscientious - Cphmag 'Our Lonely Selves'. J. Golberg, (review, NY) Dec 2024
Parool ' The best art of 2024', December 2024
Frankurter Allgemeine, 'Das Fenster zur Straße', F. Langer (review, German) August 2024
De Standaard, 'Intens aanwezig'. S. Vanthuyne (review, Belgium) July 2024
Trouw 'Een leven gevat in een raamkozijn', J. de Wolf. July 2024 ( review, Dutch)
De Groene Amsterdammer 'Gemaakt van nacht',  J. Postma, July 2024 (review Dutch)
NRC 'Japanse ramen verhullen de eenzaamheid..' S. Smets, June 2024 (interview, Dutch)
Parool 'Awoiska van der Molen toont ..' K.Keijer, June 2024 (interview, Dutch)
De Volkrant 'Awoiska van der Molen ging altijd naar Japan om..' Michiel Kruijt, June 2024 (interview, Dutch)

Unseen Amsterdam 'The Prelude' Sept 2023 (interview, Dutch )
C4Journal ‘Those eyes..', Alexander Mourant, review, July 2022
Urbanautica 'Awoiska van der Molen. Into Nature, Steve Bisson, interview July 2022
Metropolis M 'Photographing nature – ‘Inside the Outside’ – Art and ecology Sep 2022
FOAM Magazine, ‘In conversation: Awoiska vd Molen with Eugenie Shinkle' July 2021
NRC 'Je moet wennen aan Tsoupaki’s ‘Odysseus' (Dutch) Nov 2021
Het Parool 'De zak tegenwind van Odysseus als metafoor voor de klimaatcrisis Nov 2021 (Dutch)
De Volkskrant 'Bij Into Nature smelten de kunstwerken...' Aug 2021(Dutch)
NRC 'Je kijkt anders als natuur en kunst...' Aug 2021 (Dutch)
De lage landen 'Being and existing (...)' S. Vankersschaever Feb 2021
De Standaard 'Absolute Stilte' S. Vanthuyne, Dec 2020 (Dutch)
Collector Daily 'Awoiska van der Molen, The Living Mountain' L. Knoblauch Aug 2020
Conscientious 'The Living Mountain' J. Colberg Aug 2020
De Gids, 'Zwart' H.M. van den Brink (Dutch) Dec 2020
Photobookstore.uk 'The Living Mountain' R. Orrantia June 2020
Conscientious 'The print, the book, the screen' J. Colberg June 2020
Punctum Magazine 'The Living Mountain' M. Hammer June 2020
Trouw 'Beeldboek' C.Baart June 2020
De Witte Raaf 'De volledige blikk', Essay A. Mulder (Dutch) Nov 2019
The Guardian 'Prix Pictet 2019 shortlist, photo essay' 5.7.2019
See All This 'De wereld als je studio'  2019 (Dutch)
NRC ’Plekken die de zintuigen niet bevuilen’ Tracy Metz (Dutch) 1.2.2019
Het Parool 'Ik ben op zoek naar een oerstaat' Kees Keijer  (Dutch)7.3.2019
Unseen Platform 'A day with Awoiska van der Molen' 2019
NY Times Magazine  'The Voyages Issue' Sept 2018
Hyperallergic 'Photographers Among the Trees, at Victoria & Albert Museum' 2018
Nothern California art Awoiska van der Molen at Casemore Kirkeby, 2018
Frankfurter Rundschau 'Die Dunkelheit und manchmal das Leuchten' June 2017
The Guardian Sean O' Hagan: 'The top 10 photography exhibitions of 2017' Dec 2017
De Morgen Ewoud Ceulemans: 'Mijn stemming maakt het werk' June 2017
De Volkskrant 'Lixenberg en van der Molen genomineerd' Merel Bem March 2017
The Guardian Sean O' Hagan: '...the Deutsche Börse photography prize' March 2017 
De Standaard ‘Oorverdovend stille landschappen' Stefan Vanthuyne June 2016
Photomonitor Review of exhibition at Purdy Hicks Gallery, Ollie Gapper March 2016
H ART ‘De intensiteit en stilte van plekken in foto’s vervat’ Sofie Crabbe June 2016 
See All This '10 hoogtepunten van Awoiska uit 2016 jaar' No.3 2016
Documentum The Instagram Series, Fall Line Press 2016  
Financial Times 'Snapshot': Blanco by Awoiska van der Molen. Jan 2016  
The Independent Magazine 'In the Frame' 5.3.2016
Het Parool ’Geraakt door de geest van het landschap’ J.P. Ekker 19.3.2016  
De Volkskrant ‘Donker en zwart, zwart en donker’ Jeanne Prisser 16.2.2016  
NRC 'In Nederland zijn teveel prikkels' Daan van Lent 2016  
Unseen Magazine, Sean O’Hagan: ‘What is photography?’ 2015  
NRC ‘De verschrikking van de natuur’ Rianne v Dijck 13.8.2015
Conscientious 'Sequester' Jörg Colberg 2014
The Guardian, Sean O’Hagan: 'Bewitched by blackness...’ 2014
Photobookstore Magazine, Rodrigo Orrantia 'Sequester' 2014
The Great Leap Sideways, 'Phosphorescence' Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa 2014
De Witte Raaf, E.J. van Alphen: 'Time saturation..' Essay 2014
Dagblad Trouw 'Verzinken in de natuur' J. de Wolf. 07.01.2014
Scrapped Magazine Fine art magazine, NY 2013 
Dagblad vh Noorden 'De overweldigende kracht van het landschap', I. Pietersma 2012  
'5' . 5 different artists - by Studio Pure Beograd 2011
P/f magazine Portfolio #3 Edie Peters 2010
(...) 

CATALOGUES / ANTHOLOGIES
Land. Photographs that make you think, Henry Carroll, USA 2022
The Photograph That Changed My Life, Zelda Cheatle, UK 2021
Confinement Prix Pictet, London, UK 2020
Hope' Award catalogue Prix Pictet, UK 2019 (catalogue)
50 kunstwerken om langer...De Kunstmeisjes. NL 2019
Photographers Looking at Photographs - Pilara Foundation Collection'. Pier24, San Francisco 2020
Into the Woods: Trees in Photography Victoria & Albert Museum, UK 2019 (catalogue)
Failed Images: Photography and its Counter-Practices  E.J. van Alphen, NL 2019
Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize London, UK 2017 (catalogue)
The Grain of the Present Pier 24 Photography, San Francisco 2017 (catalogue)
Object Onder / Object Below Sanders Collection, Pieter & Marieke Sanders, NL 2015 (catalogue)
Hariban Award 2014 Collotype printed catalogue, Kyoto 2014
The Marseillaise Fotomuseum Huis Marseille 2014 (catalogue)
Fotoverhalen Fotomusem Den Haag 2014 (catalogue)
Alt+1000 High Altitude by Nathalie Herschdorfer CH 2011 (catalogue)
Hyeres 26th International Festival Photography Raphaelle Stopin 2011 (catalogue)
Quickscan #01 Nederlands Fotomuseum Rotterdam, Frits Gierstberg 2010 (catalogue)
De laatste fotograaf? AKV/St. Joost, Breda 2009 (catalogue)