Tell us, what got you into photography?
“I was working in fashion for about 10 years as an art-director and designer until I got tired of it. So I left the fashion scene, bought a decent camera and started to take pictures. My style picked up fast and in 2012, after doing a surprise give-a-way exhibition, I was signed at an art gallery and a commercial agency. Two years later, I became co-owner of that same gallery. I want to make the art scene more accessible for everybody.”
Could you tell us a bit more about that give-a-way exhibit? Definitely sounds cool.
“In May 2012, I decided to do a solo show called “Happy Ending”. I was given a 55 hours gallery slot, so I invited everybody for a countdown with a “Happy Ending”. One hour before the end I announced: “When the clock reaches 0, you can take anything from the wall that you like, everything is for free!”. People went crazy and started guarding the wall to protect the prints that they wanted to take home. This little stunt gave me a lot of attention.”
Now you’re also organising events like Barracuda. What’s the idea behind it?
“My pictures are unpolished with a sexy edge and are all about observing and capturing eccentric characters. So I wanted to organize something next to the exhibitions that captures that same feeling. Something for everybody to be part of. I think Barracuda is coming pretty close to that.”
Haha, ok. Still kind of vague, can you give us a little hint on the program?
“It’s going to be an evening filled with exciting stuff in a biker-bar/grind-house/strip-club surrounding. Bands, performances, belly shots, bar bet’s, you name it. The location is a dark, raw, sexy basement under a cool hotel. What’s not to like?”
Does this meet the needs of Amsterdam nightlife you think?
“Personally I’m not a big fan of the Amsterdam party scene. Everything is based around a DJ and even though the clubs look nice, there is no excitement or any entertainment. So I wanted to mix things up with a performance based evening. Let’s see if people are up for that.”
Barracuda takes place on the 15th of May at Doka (basement Volkshotel). Limited amount of tickets available. Check out the line-up and get your tickets here: http://on.fb.me/1Cjv9Oe
Info
www.welcometothebarracuda.com
www.mynameissanderdekker.com
www.walls.nl
