In Waterland, a project started by Stomps in February 2021, research is being conducted into how the urban river and coastal environment are changing. A social anthropological and photographic time document unfolds with the status of now and a glimpse into the future. In collaboration with residents, a number of important stakeholders, artists, designers and scientific institutions, a growing document of time is visualized, which also provides room for historical reflection.

Works include amongst others: Erik Klarenbeek’s Mycelanium Chair, Jalila Essaidi’s 2.6g 329m/s (Bulletproof Skin), Maurizio Montalti’s System Synthetics, Christian Fiebig’s Comuputer Augmented Crafts, Mike Thompson and Gionata Gatto’s Trace Light, Tim van Comvoirt’s Thermophores and Studio 1:1’s Biological Clock.

Curators : Anne Lacoste with Zoé Isle de la Beauchaine in collobaration with Lucien Birgé
Production: Institut pour la photographie

“A book of photographs is an autonomous form of art, comparable to a sculpture, a play or a film. The photographs lose their photographic nature as objects “in themselves” to become the components, expressed in printer’s ink, of an exceptional creation called a book“*. Publishing was the main form of distributing photography until the medium became a mainstay of museums in the second half of the 20th century. From the mid-19th century, the photobook has been the focus of a constantly renewed creativity thanks to the ongoing developments in printing, which have allowed for a wide variety in print qualities, and lowered the costs of reproduction. Lucien Birgé’s library, which includes more than 25,000 international works dating from the end of the 19th century to the present day, bears witness to the rich and varied history of photographic publishing.

This exhibition, produced after the first donation of 2 053 books in 2020 and complemented by loans from the collector, features a selection of books by iconic and less well-known authors, concerning the task of sequencing and the layout of photographs. An author or his graphic designer has a vast field of action –from the choice image formats to their arrangement on the page – to guide our reading of individual images and arouse our constant interest.

Mist will take part in this exposition and can be seen from October 8 until December 5. 2021

a new artwork titled Body and Mind for Utrecht Central Station bus terminal. Various works by the team of artist Gabriel Lester will be presented on both the Jaarbeurs and Centrum sides. The idea is that this will make the bus station more colorful and lighter in the future. Niels Stomps will be responsable for Center side of the bus station. Lester has asked him to make colorful group portraits of residents and travelers. This is the 'Body' section.

Body and Spirit is made for the municipality and province of Utrecht. The entire project is expected to be completed by October 2021.

From november I will start sending out a Sketch Letter every month, containing a new photographic sketch. It wil be hot from the press, unpublished and made over the course of that very month.

Whereas I can focus for years on a certain photo project, these sketch series are a valuable counterpart on my work.
Its important to me to stay productive and actively keep on searching, working intuitively and playing with visual storytelling. To be on the lookout for meaningful things. Collecting and connecting myself with the things and people around me.

I decided to challenge myself by making a new sketch every month for over period of a year, and publish it without questioning too much what it is about.
Anyway, I want to inspire myself and you by doing this. But I kind of need you as my audience to do this. So feel free to view the monthly sketch, or reply to these letters with questions, comments and suggestions.

Every first Monday of the month at twelve o'clock, when the air alarm is tested in the Netherlands, I will publish a new sketch. Want these letters too, sent me an email. Just say: Yes. in the subject line.

Deze Intensieve Expert Sessie: 'Fotoboek - van beeld tot publicatie' is voor professionele fotografen die als doel hebben een Fotoboek te ontwikkelen en te publiceren.

Tijdens dit Expert Programma word je door expert Niels Stomps begeleid in het ontwikkelingsproces van een professioneel Fotoboek. Wat komt daar allemaal bij kijken en hoe realiseer je dat?
Je werkt gedurende 11 maanden onder begeleiding van Niels Stomps aan de dummy (het verhaal, de edit, vormgeving, adviezen over papier & druk mogelijkheden etc) en aan het plan voor publicatie: het maken van de juiste keuzes op het gebied van partnerships, financiering, vormgeving, PR en distributie. Het programma biedt daarmee structuur en focus.

Startdatum: 28 oktober 2021
Locatie: Fotoacademie Amsterdam

Deelnemers van voorgaande edities:
Annemarie Dekker, Cara Louwman, Carole Rey, Elisabetta Citterio, Frans Ohm, Gabrielle de Kroon, Hillebrand Breuker, Inta Nahapetjan, Irene van Nispen Kress, Jose Pasmans, Karola Jansen, Koen Suidgeest, Map de Maar, Marijke Stroucken, Marjolein Vinkenoog, Marleen Kuipers, Paulien van de Loo, Rob Severein, Wies den Ouden

Lees in de onderstaande link over hun ervaringen t.a.v. het Expert Programma.

Happy to read what the German Magazine Kwerfeldein wrote about Sketch #05 Hold Still. Keeps me going..

15 may 2018

At the start of the year I wil be working on the rooftops of Havanna.

1 December 2016

Written by Laura Mallonee, Niels talks about the ongoing arctic project 'I Can Hear The Waves'

I Can Hear The Waves is published in 'Dankzij SEM Presser Archief'. This photobook is an initiative of the Sem Presser Foundation.

19 September 2015