International Visitors Programme
As part of the International Visitors Programme, the Nieuwe Instituut welcomed contemporary artist and photographer Hassan Hajjaj to the Netherlands, with the aim of introducing his work to a wide audience and facilitating an exchange of knowledge with emerging Dutch-based creative professionals.
During his visit, Hassan Hajjaj visited the FOTODOK exhibition and talent platform in Utrecht, where he met all the team members. They discussed current trends, FOTODOK’s focus on urgent social issues and its talent development programme. Later that day, Hajjaj also visited the MOḌA exhibition at Utrecht’s Centraal Museum with its co-curator Zineb Seghrouchni. There, he met various artists whose work was exhibited alongside his own in the group show.
He also visited the team at the Amsterdam-based platform Warehouse at their studio on Sint Jansstraat 51 for an inspiring discussion about their recent research-based and critical projects challenging the commercial fashion industry. That evening, he took part in an in-depth Q&A session as part of an intimate evening programme hosted by DAR Cultural Agency at the Daily Paper HQ.
On 27 February, the visit concluded with An Evening With Hassan Hajjaj, a well-attended event at the Nieuwe Instituut hosted in collaboration with DAR Cultural Agency. During the event, Hajjaj expanded on his practice and highlighted the influence of London’s club, hip-hop and reggae scenes on his work.
Hassan Hajjaj was born in 1961 in Larache, Morocco. He lives and works between Marrakech and London. His work spans several artistic spheres, including photography, fashion, music, cinema and design, and offers a critical and uninhibited perspective on consumer society.