That may sound abstract, but the subject is actually very relatable. When you take a photo, you capture a moment. You preserve something that is already gone immediately after. OCCUPY TIME shows that photography can do more than just preserve moments. Images can also connect stories from the past, present, and future.
For beginning photographers, this exhibition is interesting because it teaches you to look at images differently. Not just at composition or technique, but also at what a photo tells about memory, history, and personal experiences.
Photography and time: more than a moment
Photography is often seen as a medium that freezes time. You press the shutter and capture a moment. Later, you can look back at that one place, person, or event.
OCCUPY TIME poses a question to that: is time really so linear? Many events continue to have an impact, even if they are officially part of the past. Think of family histories, wars, migration, or personal memories.
The artists in this exhibition use photography and visual art to make such connections visible. They look at stories that are sometimes forgotten, not told, or never fully captured.
Why this is interesting if you're just starting
As a beginner, you often first pay attention to practical things. Is my subject in focus? Is the lighting good? Is the composition right?
That is important, but photography is also about meaning. A photo can evoke a memory. An image can ask questions. Sometimes what remains out of frame tells just as much as what you do see.
This exhibition helps you to look more consciously. You learn that a photo doesn't have to be just beautiful or technically good. A photo can also say something about how people experience the world.
Eight creators within FUTURES
For OCCUPY TIME, eight artists have been selected: Aline Bovard Rudaz, Anna Safiatou Touré, Anton Shebetko, Chloé Azzopardi, Joanna Chia-yu Lin, Julius Schien, Marco Frauchiger, and Raisan Hameed.
Their work moves between photography, visual art, personal stories, and visual imagination. This means you will likely see not only classic photo prints but also other ways in which images can be used.
The selection comes from an open call within FUTURES. This European platform supports emerging photography talent and connects creators with curators, institutions, and audiences.
For visitors, this makes OCCUPY TIME extra interesting. You see work from creators who are still developing but are already making their voices heard.
Chloé Azzopardi, Non technological devices, 2023-Ongoing,
An exhibition that travels further
OCCUPY TIME starts at FOTODOK in Utrecht. The exhibition will then travel to other European cities.
From January 21 to March 23, 2027, the exhibition will be on display at Riga Art Space. It will then follow to PHOXXI – Temporary House of Photography in Hamburg, from September 11, 2027, to January 30, 2028.
This journey fits well with the theme. Time is not experienced in the same way everywhere. By showing the exhibition in different places, the subject gains a new context each time.
Tip for your visit: look longer at the image
Are you going to OCCUPY TIME? Then try not only to look at what you immediately see. Also ask yourself what the image evokes.
Pay attention to these questions, for example:
- What moment seems to be captured here?
- Is the image about a personal memory or a larger story?
- What remains hidden or unclear?
- Does your feeling about the image change if you look longer?
This way of looking also helps you with your own photography. You learn to think about the story behind your photo. That can make your images stronger and more personal.
About FOTODOK
FOTODOK is a Utrecht institution for documentary photography and visual stories. Documentary photography means that images are used to explore real stories, people, and social issues.
Since 2008, FOTODOK has focused on urgent themes and the power of image makers. As the only Dutch institution within FUTURES , FOTODOK connects promising photographers from the Netherlands with European institutions and peers every year.
The mission of FOTODOK aligns well with OCCUPY TIME. The exhibition uses photography not only to show something but also to ask questions. This invites you as a visitor to look more consciously and critically.
Practical information
- Exhibition: OCCUPY TIME
- On display: November 27, 2026, to February 28, 2027
- Location: FOTODOK, Lange Nieuwstraat 7, 3512 PA Utrecht
- Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 11:30 AM–5:30 PM
- Admission: regular €6,- | student €5,- | CJP €4,- | children up to 12 years free
- Artists: Aline Bovard Rudaz, Anna Safiatou Touré, Anton Shebetko, Chloé Azzopardi, Joanna Chia-yu Lin, Julius Schien, Marco Frauchiger, and Raisan Hameed
- More info: fotodok.org
Photo above article: Aline Bovard Rudaz, Cadran radioactif, Cherche RADIUMINEUSE, 2024,
