Benedicte Kurzen

bénédicte kurzen at lagos photo festival

'Shine ur Eye', a collaboration between Bénédicte Kurzen and Robin Maddock, was in show at Lagos Photo Festival. 

 

'Shine ur Eye' brings together and explores their recent work in Nigeria as well as using images from the National Museum archive. The show's form echoes the porosity between reality and fiction which shapes Nigerian daily life.

 

Playfulness, oral traditions, politics, the enormous power of the church fuelled by an irrepressible will to survive, are the threads of a complex weave which ‘Shine ur eye’ unites in documentary and more fictional pictures.  

tutors & participants for noor-nikon amsterdam masterclass announced

We are proud to announce the selected participants for the NOOR-Nikon Amsterdam Masterclass with NOOR photographers Bénédicte Kurzen, Stanley Greene and Asim Rafiqui, which will take place in the agency's hometown from 16 to 20 November 2015.

 

We sincerely thank everyone who put effort into their applications and congratulate the photographers who will be taking part in the masterclass:

 

Angeniet Berkers (NL)

Alessia Capasso (BE/IT)

David Denil (BE)

Chris Grodotzki (DE)

Maja Hitij (DE)

Francesca Jones (UK)

Gino Toine Kleisen (NL)

Ryan Koopmans (NL)

Simon Lenskens (BE)

Maria Litwa (DE/PL)

Conner Matheson (UK)

James Parker (UK)

Ronny Rozenberg (NL/IL)

Mary Turner (UK)

Gerbrand Van Uytvanck (BE)

 

We look forward to meeting all the participants, having the chance to learn about their work and sharing experiences in November.

noor at fotografia europea 2015

NOOR Group Photo, May 2015. From left: Asim Rafiqui, Pep Bonet, Kadir van Lohuizen, Benedicte Kurzen, Sebastian Liste, Jon Lowenstein, Francesco Zizola, Andrea Bruce, Nina Berman, Stanley Greene, Alixandra Fazzina.

 

As HOST program guests of the Italian festival Fotografia Europea 2015, NOOR photographers visited the beautiful town of Reggio Emilia to lead workshops, present a screening and discussion evening, and open their group exhibition, "A NOOR journal on the changing planet, 2009-2015."

 

 

Chiostri di San Pietro, exhibition venue for the group show, "NOOR Journal on a Changing Planet 2009-2015," in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

 

The exhibition, curated by Laura Serani, brings together years of work on climate change and environmental issues around the globe and is on view at the Chiostri di San Pietro until 26 July.

 

NOOR photographers at the opening of their group show on climate change with curator Laura Serani.

 

In the days leading up to the festival's official opening, NOOR photographers Stanley Greene, Jon Lowenstein, Sebastian Liste, Andrea Bruce, and Asim Rafiqui guided practical and theoretical workshops in documentary photography. To see a video of the work participants shot during the workshop see here.

 

 

Jon Lowenstein guides a workshop on practical elements of photography and editing.

 

Stanley, Jon, Sebastian and Andrea's workshop participants worked on a shooting assignment covering local food and wine production in the region. One group visited a Parmigiano-Reggiano maturation room in Reggio Emilia.

 

 

Workshop participants visit a Parmigiano-Reggiano maturation room.

 

Workshop group photo with Jon Lowenstein.

 

 

 

The festival HOST program (a project by aBcM) came to a close with NOOR Night, featuring an evening of screenings and discussions with NOOR photographers and moderated by Lars Boering, Director of the World Press Photo. The topic of the evening was "Change: How to Achieve It." 

 

 

Lars Boering moderated NOOR Night with photographers Benedicte Kurzen, Jon Lowenstein, Kadir van Lohuizen, Pep Bonet, Andrea Bruce, and Francesco Zizola.

 

 

Stanley Greene and Andrea Bruce at NOOR Night.

  

 

Following the festival, NOOR members stayed in Reggio Emilia where they held their 8th Annual General Meeting. At the Annual General Meeting, NOOR photographers and staff evaluate agency and foundation activities, and plan how to continue NOOR’s mission in coming years.

 

 

All photos by Francesca Pradella 

noor lunch talks with nina berman, francesco zizola, pep bonet, alixandra fazzina & benedicte kurzen at fotografia europea, italy

© Francesco Zizola | NOOR


On Saturday 16 May 2015, as part of the Fotografia Europea festival, NOOR will host 'NOOR Lunch Talks.' Enjoy stimulating, intimate discussion and a delicious meal together. The following photographers will be the topics listed below:

 

Nina Berman on 'Photography and Social Media'

 

Francesco Zizola on 'Ethics and Photojournalism'

 

Pep Bonet on 'Moving into Moving Images', about the power of mixed media

 

Alixandra Fazzina and Benedicte Kurzen on 'Women; Two Sides of the Camera'. Alixandra and Benedicte will discuss the role of women both behind the camera and as subjects in conflict.

 

Each applicant will be able to choose the photographer they would like to have the lunch with, and all efforts will be made to accommodate their choice. The lunches will take place at Ristorante Enoteca Il Pozzo.

 

When: Saturday 16 May 2015

12:30 - 14:30 lunch + talk

14:30 - 15:30 possibility for a short portfolio review

 

Cost: 85 (including food & festival pass, exclusive of 15 administration costs).

 

The lunches with Nina Berman, Francesco Zizola and Pep Bonet will each admit 6 to 8 people.

The lunch with Alixandra Fazzina and Benedicte Kurzen will admit 12 to 14 people.

 

Deadline for registration: Tuesday 28 April 2015 EXTENDED! NEW DEADLINE: 5 May 2015 (before midnight C.E.T.)

 

HOW TO SIGN UP?

 

1. Please download, fill out, and sign the registration form.

This can be sent via email to: info@abcmprogetti.net

 

2. Please make an advance payment of 100 EUR via PayPal

or bank transfer to:

Bank Account holder Stichting Noor Foundation

IBAN code: NL37 INGB 0004288015

BIC/SWIFT: INGBNL2A

 

Please clearly indicate with the payment your name and what it concerns, so we can track the payment. Please send a receipt of the payment together with the registration form.

 

Deadline for registration: Tuesday 28 April 2015 EXTENDED! NEW DEADLINE: 5 May 2015 (before midnight C.E.T.)

 

Participants for the lunches will be provided with necessary information in the form of welcome packs prior to the event and with a free pass for the festival.

 

 

FEES AND POLICY

Tuition for the lunches does not include flights, accommodations or meals. All on-the-ground expenses are the responsibility of the student.

 

Once you submit your application, you will be notified within 2 business days after the submissions deadline.

 

All fees must be paid within three days from acceptance. Students will then be emailed a full welcome package with suggestions for accommodations as well as a guide to Reggio Emilia.

 

Please note

- NOOR reserves the right to change or alter the program advertised.

- If a participant decides to cancel for whatever reason, it must be confirmed in writing:

. NOOR will reimburse all the registration costs except for €15 administration fee, if the participant informs NOOR of cancellation the day they receive the notification of confirmation for the lunch. Beyond this time limit, NOOR will charge the following:

. 50% of the cost if cancelled between 6 and 12 days before the lunch commences.

. 100% of the cost if cancelled less than 5 days before the lunch commences.

. All lunches that are commenced but not completed through the fault of either the contractor/or participant need to be paid in full.

- NOOR is not responsible for reimbursement of travel expenses in case a lunch is cancelled. We recommend that you buy refundable air tickets and/or travel insurance.

- A €100 application fee is required for each application. If accepted, this balance will be applied to the final tuition. If the student is not accepted, a refund of the application fee will be granted (minus €15 administration costs).

 

For any questions, or for more information, please contact Valeria Ribaldi.

benedicte kurzen on how the nigerian army pushes back boko haram in bloomberg magazine

 

Benedicte Kurzen's report on how the Nigerian army, together with forces from Chad and Niger, took territory from the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria in early March was published in Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine on 23 March.