Guste Gulevaite

Farmers appear in the news and on social media almost every day. The way they are photographed helps shape how we see agriculture and food production. Many images focus on climate issues, food production and uncertainty. But which stories are given space? And which perspectives remain out of sight?

On Thursday 30 July, the Nederlands Fotomuseum presents a special edition of Fotomuseum at Night alongside the exhibition Good Food: A Journey Through the World of Food and Resilience. During a panel discussion, photographer Ruud Sies and invited guests explore how photography shapes the way we look at agriculture, landscapes and food production.

About the panel discussion

Good Food brings together stories from farmers, growers, researchers and food makers around the world who are working towards more sustainable ways of producing food. Rather than focusing only on the challenges, the exhibition also highlights the resilience, knowledge and innovation that are helping to build more sustainable food systems.

During the panel discussion, the speakers reflect on the stories behind both the exhibition and the accompanying publication. Together, they explore how images influence the way we think about agriculture, what responsibility photography carries in representing these stories, and which voices deserve greater visibility.

Before the panel, we will screen the documentary Farming While Black (2024). The film offers an additional perspective on the relationship between agriculture, identity, history and community, providing a starting point for the conversation that follows.

Speakers

Ruud Sies – photographer of Good Food

Robert-Jan Piek – Rotterdam de Boer Op!

Josimar Barbolina – works on building resilient food systems across the Caribbean islands

Practical information

Date: Thursday 30 July

Doors open: 6.00 – 6.30 PM

Film screening: 6.30 – 7.45 PM

Panel discussion: 7.45 – 8.30 PM

Q&A: 8.30 – 8.45 PM

Location: Entrance Hall, the Nederlands Fotomuseum

Admission: Free

The museum will remain open until 9 PM. You are also welcome to visit the exhibitions Good Food: A Journey Through the World of Food and Resilience, Quickscan 3: Photography Now and the Gallery of Honour of Dutch Photography.

Pakhuis Santos, home to the Nederlands Fotomuseum since February 2026, has been nominated for the Dutch Daylight Award 2026. Presented every two years, the award recognises buildings that make exceptional use of daylight. This year’s theme is ‘Magical Spaces’.

From warehouse to museum

The nomination is a wonderful recognition of the transformation of the historic warehouse, originally built in 1902. Once used to store coffee, Pakhuis Santos is now an open home for photography: a place where visitors explore exhibitions, move through the national photography collection and discover what it takes to preserve, research and make photographic archives accessible.

Daylight at Pakhuis Santos

Daylight plays a central role in that experience. Flowing through the open atrium at the heart of the building, natural light reaches deep into the museum. Combined with the distinctive roof structure, it creates a different atmosphere throughout the day.

Since February 2026, Pakhuis Santos has brought together photography, collections and craftsmanship under one roof. This nomination highlights the unique building that now serves as the new home of the Nederlands Fotomuseum, where visitors not only experience photography, but also gain a closer understanding of the collection and the work that happens behind the scenes.

Pakhuis Santos has been nominated in the category Buildings over 1,000 m². The project was designed by WDJARCHITECTEN and RENNER HAINKE WIRTH ZIRN ARCHITEKTEN.

Seven projects have been shortlisted for the Dutch Daylight Award 2026. The winner will be announced on 30 September 2026 during the Dutch Daylight Event at the Metaal Kathedraal in Utrecht.

Read more about the nomination on the Dutch Daylight Award website.

The Nederlands Fotomuseum, Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam and International Film Festival Rotterdam present the results of the fifth edition of NFM x GLR x IFFR. As part of this collaboration, first-year Photography students from Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam created new work at the intersection of photography and film.

For this edition, students were challenged to create a photographic film scene within one week, inspired by the style of American photographer Gregory Crewdson (1962). As in Crewdson’s work, each image is a carefully constructed and directed scene that resembles a still from a feature film.

To explore this approach, students drew inspiration from the documentary Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters (2012) and attended a guest lecture by photographer Annabel Oosteweeghel. She spoke about the role of atmosphere, colour and location in creating a compelling visual narrative.

As a starting point for their projects, the students selected a subject from the Gallery of Honour of Dutch Photography at the Nederlands Fotomuseum.

Working as a film crew

The students worked in teams, with each participant taking on a specific role, such as photographer, director, lighting technician or stylist. They also had access to rented large-format cameras and professional equipment that are not normally available within their programme.

The assignment offered students the opportunity to experience how every decision on a professional set influences the final image.

A platform for emerging talent

By presenting the final works, the Nederlands Fotomuseum offers a platform to emerging photographic talent and makes their work accessible to a wider audience.

The presentation is on view in the educational space on level -1 of the Nederlands Fotomuseum. This space is currently in progress and will further develop in the coming period.