Harmen Meinsma

Harmen Meinsma, (b. 1991) started his photographic career in Balk, a village in the north of Holland. During his teenage years, being gay in a small town was very isolating for him. Harmen spent most of his time creating various styles of decor in his bedroom and taking photographs of himself and his friends. His photography thus became a positive escape.

Over the years, Harmen’s work further developed into the photographic career he has today. His practice has moved from a focus on self-portraits, towards a fascination for the eccentric and free-spirits of this world. The creative framework of fashion also allows Harmen to build a fantasy world filled with color and costumes.

Harmen is not interested in capturing reality, but he does become inspired by what he discovers in real life. He forms this reality following the direction of his own imagination, casting his subjects as the main characters. Through his work, the photographer gives the unconventional subjects of society the spotlight they deserve.

His drive as a photographer is to make images come from a sense of empowerment, and a celebration of being different. Harmen treats his subjects with tremendous love and respect: an aspect this is visible in every image he produces.

Melkweg Expo

Melkweg Expo is an exhibition space for contemporary photography and a platform for emerging artists, located in the heart of Amsterdam. With a focus on photography that explores identity, society and pop culture. Characterized by a distinctly playful and accessible approach, Melkweg Expo seeks to unveil high quality art – art that is innovative, engaging and inclusive.

Melkweg Expo’s main goal is to nurture and promote emerging talent and present them to a broad audience – from admirers of art, photography addicts, art students and self-taught artists, to the casual passers-by of the venue’s central location and music lovers surfacing from the crowd of a Melkweg concert. Melkweg Expo is part of Melkweg.

Melkweg stands for pop culture in the most broad of senses. Each year, hundreds of concerts, club nights, films and music films, theatre performances, expositions and multidisciplinary events together attract almost 540,000 visitors.

The venue is located in the only surviving factory building on the Amsterdam canal ring, a former sugar and, later, milk factory.

In the Melkweg, established names can be seen alongside new talent and emerging styles get the chance to reach a broader audience. The diversity of its programming and visitors have for years made the Melkweg a unique place.