Verena Blok (b. 1990) has a deep interest in personal histories and narrative storytelling. Intrigued by the way cultural and political factors influence one’s life, she uses her lens-based practice to shed light on the inner life and everyday ‘reality’ of her protagonists. As a Dutch-Polish dual citizen, Blok maintains a keen awareness of her positioning between East and West, and her work often refers to the gendered performance of the self. Encounters with her subjects take place in intimate settings, which serve as the core of and the fuel for her work. By becoming close to them and embedding herself in their lives for long stretches of time, she uses the context in which they exist as a studio, a backdrop to the narratives that both she and her subjects become part of.

Blok holds an MA Photography from AKV St. Joost in Breda (NL) and a BA Photography from the Royal Academy of Arts (KABK) in The Hague (NL). She was an artist in residence at Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten 2020-2022. 

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Education

2020 - 2022

  • Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2014 - 2016

  • MA Photography AKV | St. Joost, Breda, The Netherlands

2009 - 2013

  • BA Design (Photography) Royal Academy of Art (KABK), The Hague, The Netherlands

Exhibitions

2023

  • XXL Dreams Laak.Club, The Hague (NL) in collaboration with Home Cinema and wysiwyg

2022

  • Open Studios 2022 Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam (NL)

  • Shoeglazing group show at Dürst Britt & Mayhew, The Hague (NL)

  • RAW group show at Museum Het Rembrandthuis, Amsterdam (NL) More info here

2022 - 2023

  • RSVP#2 group show at Billytown, The Hague

2021

  • Open Studios 2021 Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam (NL) More info here

2020

  • 11th Organ Vida Photography Festival: Hesitant Images "Borders: Verena Blok, Stefanie Zofia Schulz, Marvin Bonheur" More info here

  • Noorderlicht International Photography Festival 2020: Generation Z Elena Aya Bundurakis (GR) | Els Zweerink (NL) | Ine Lamers (NL) | Jan Stradtmann (DE) | Lavinia Xausa (IT) | Lena Kuzmich (AT) | Lisandro Suriel (NL) | Madeline Swainhart (VS) | Marie Lukasiewicz (FR) | Martine Stig (NL) | Massimiliano Rossetto (CH) | Amal Alhaag (NL) & Nadine Stijns (NL) | Nael Quraishi (GB) | Oktawian Jurczykowski (PL) | Oliver Ressler (AT) | Ra Solaris (PL) | Sebastian Steveniers (BE) | Sydney Rahimtoola (VS) | Tanya Klimovich (RU) | Tasio Bidegain (ES/FR) | Tommy Smits (NL) & Daniel Dmyszewicz (NL) | Verena Blok (NL) | Victor Naumovski (MK) | Sheng Wen Loo (TW) More info here

  • UNFAIR 2020 Frédérique Albert-Bordenave, Nicola Arthen, Verena Blok, Kévin Bray, Katrein Breukers, Maarten Broekhuizen, Koos Buster, Kim David Bots, Gilles de Brock, Afra Eisma, Joost Elschot, Daniele Formica, Willem de Haan, Thijs Jaeger & Rik Laging, Alle Jong, Natalia Jordanova, Kateřina Konarovská, Rabi Koria,Thomas Kuijpers, Nazif Lopulissa, Adam Nillissen, Céline Manz, Vibeke Mascini, Neo Matloga, Milena Naef, Lennart de Neef, Daan Paans, Pernille Pedersen, Mike Pratt, Josse Pyl, Hugo Rocci, Gilleam Trapenberg, Thomas Trum, Pieter van der Schaaf, Raquel van Haver, Daniel van Straalen, Anouk van Zwieten, Jop Vissers Vorstenbosch, Marjet Zwaans, Thijs Zweers More info here

2019

  • 'The Image Is Our Voice', Unseen Photo Fair X MelkwegExpo, Futures Melkweg Expo, Amsterdam

  • Robota solo show at Elementarz Dla Mieszkańców Miast, Kraków, PL Read text here (in Polish)

  • Prospects & Concepts group show at Art Rotterdam Read text here

2018

  • Somfy Photography Award 2018 group show at Utrecht Central Station with Alexandra Hunts, Jaap Scheeren, Daan Paans, Verena Blok, Thomas Kuipers, Stephan Keppel, Marleen Sleeuwits, Sushilla Kouwen, Sanne van den Elzen, Marica Kolcheva

2018 - 2019

  • Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam group show Freedom of Movement: Municipal Art Acquisitions with Isabelle Andriessen, Yael Bartana, Verena Blok, Melanie Bonajo, Kate Cooper, Danielle Dean, Deniz Eroglu, Juan Arturo García González, Sara Sejin Chang (Sara van der Heide), JODI, Jort van der Laan, Basir Mahmood, Polina Medvedeva, Rory Pilgrim, Falke Pisano, Michele Rizzo, Rafaël Rozendaal, Joy Mariama Smith, Jonas Staal and Remco Torenbosch Read text here

2017

  • My Name in a 100 Colophons book selection by Vincent van Baar at Lief Hertje en de Grote Witte Reus, The Hague

2016

  • Quickscan #2, book selection by FW: group show at Nederlands Fotomuseum Rotterdam

  • RE:, MA Photography St. Joost, Breda group show at Melkweg Expo, Amsterdam

2015

  • DocuDenHaag group show with Ursula Jernberg and Jan Rosseel at Het Nutshuis, The Hague

  • Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam group show On The Move: Storytelling in Contemporary Photography and Graphic Design watch the interview here

  • I Smell Like Rain solo show at Galeria PF during Biennale Fotografii, Poznan, Poland

2014

  • Transphotographiques group show of 16 nominees from the Poznan Photo Diploma Award, 'I Smell Like Rain', Lille, France

2013

  • Poznan Photo Diploma Award group show of 16 nominees at Slodownia +1 Gallery, Poznan, Poland

  • Blood, Sweat and Tears Graduation show at The Royal Academy of Arts (KABK), The Hague

Grants

2023

  • Subsidie Vrouwelijke Kunstenaars Prins Bernard Cultuur Fonds / Tijl Fonds

2019

  • Pro Kunstprojecten Stroom

  • Pro Onderzoek Stroom

2018

  • Project Investering Kunstenaar / Project Grant Artists Mondriaan Fonds

2017

  • Werkbijdrage Jong Talent / Stipendium Emerging Artists Mondriaan Fonds

  • Pro Invest Stroom

2015

  • DocuDenHaag Het Nutshuis

Collections

2019

  • Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam Municipal Art Acquisitions 2018-2019 Press Release

2015

  • Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam Municipal Art Acquisitions 2014-2015 Press Release

Awards & Nominations

2022

  • Berry Koedam Award Nominated

2019

  • Unseen Photo Fair | Futures Talent Nominated

2017

  • Somfy Photography Award 2018 Nominated

2013

  • GUP's Favorite Photo Books Shortlisted

  • Unseen Dummy Award Shortlisted

  • Rock Your Dummy, Paris Nominated

  • Volkskrant, Fotoboekenspecial ‘De Mooiste Fotoboeken van het Jaar’ by Merel Bem Shortlisted

  • Photo Diploma Award Grand Prix Winner

  • Helved New Documentary Creative Call Nominated

Residencies

2020 - 2022

  • Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten Amsterdam

2019

  • KAMEN Artist Residency Orah, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Texts

2021

2020

2019

2018

  • Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam 'Robota' Read here

  • GUP International Photography Magazine, Issue #58 Interview by Erik Vroons

  • Somfy Photography Award Interview Read here

2016

  • The Calvert Journal "Girl, Interrupted", by Anastasiia Fedorova Read here

  • Metropolis M I Hate You All Welcome RE: MA Photography AKV | St. Joost, Graduation Shows 2016 Read here

2014

2013

Other

2019

  • Seminar on Sunday: Freedom of Movement Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, moderated by Karen Archey and Jeanette Bisschops link to event

  • Artist Talk & Screening Art Rotterdam: Prospects & Concepts, moderated by Dore van Duivenbode

2018 - 2019

  • Researcher VPRO, documentary TV series "Moja Polska!", directed by Britta Hosman & Dore van Duivenbode

2018

  • Educational program with the American School of the Hague (ASH) & Nest in collaboration with Jaya Pelupessy and Gino Anthonisse

2014

  • Artist talk Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, moderated by Mirjam Kooiman

  • Artist talk SuperSalon, Warsaw, moderated by Krzysztof Kowalski