Lukas van Bentum (b. 1995, DE) grew up in Germany and is currently based in Brussels, Belgium.
He primarily works on long-term projects that focus on the nuanced intersections of identity, power, privilege, and marginalization in countries such as Germany, Russia, Moldova, Great Britain, Georgia, Azerbaijan and the
United States.
Through his artistic practice, he explores the complex dynamics of individual and collective identity and its profound sensitivity to cultural, historical, and political influences. In a world where notions of identity are constantly being shaped and contested, he seeks to uncover the complexity beneath the surface.
His work has been exhibited at places such as YUGEN Gent, MARTa Herford, Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Landesmuseum Koblenz, FotoForum Brasschaat and NRW-Forum Düsseldorf.
In 2019, his project Identity Negotiation was selected for the guteaussichten – new german photography 2019/2020 award. For his project Spectacle, he received the Roger de Conynck Prize 2022 from the King Baudouin Foundation.
He primarily works on long-term projects that focus on the nuanced intersections of identity, power, privilege, and marginalization in countries such as Germany, Russia, Moldova, Great Britain, Georgia, Azerbaijan and the
United States.
Through his artistic practice, he explores the complex dynamics of individual and collective identity and its profound sensitivity to cultural, historical, and political influences. In a world where notions of identity are constantly being shaped and contested, he seeks to uncover the complexity beneath the surface.
His work has been exhibited at places such as YUGEN Gent, MARTa Herford, Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Landesmuseum Koblenz, FotoForum Brasschaat and NRW-Forum Düsseldorf.
In 2019, his project Identity Negotiation was selected for the guteaussichten – new german photography 2019/2020 award. For his project Spectacle, he received the Roger de Conynck Prize 2022 from the King Baudouin Foundation.
Education
2019 - 2022 Master of Fine Arts, Photography / Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent (BE)
2017 - 2018 Erasmus, Photography / Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent (BE)
2015 - 2019 Bachelor of Arts, Photography / Fachhochschule Bielefeld (DE)
Exhibitons
2023 UNEXPOSED, PhotoTWENS 2023, Romaanse Port, Leuven (BE)
2022 (Un)broken, KASK, Gent (BE)
2021 UNEXPOSED, PhotoTWENS 2021, Romaanse Port, Leuven (BE)
2021 FotoForum Talent, FotoForum Brasschaat (BE)
2020 gute aussichten – new german photography 2019/2020, Landesmuseum Koblenz (DE)
2020 gute aussichten – new german photography 2019/2020, Deichtorhallen Hamburg (DE)
2020 7th LUMIX Festival for Young Visual Journalism, Hanover (DE)
2019 gute aussichten – new german photography 2019/2020, NRW Forum Düsseldorf (DE)
2019 Werkschau, Department of Art and Design, Bielefeld (DE)
2018 File not found, YUGEN, Ghent (BE)
2017 Kosmos, MARTa, Herford (DE)
2016 Tales and Tiles, Department of Art and Design, Bielefeld (DE)
Press
2024 Spectacle, Further Magazine,#04 (DE)
2022 "Hallo, ich komme aus der siebten Liga", 11FREUNDE, #245 (DE)
2022 "Der implantierte Mikrochip", taz FUTURZWEI, #19 (DE)
2021 "Im Land der grünen Bananen", 11FREUNDE, #235 (DE)
2021 Identity Negotiation, Die Politische Meinung, #566 (DE)
2017 Utopia, HANT Magazin #09 (DE)
Grants
2023 Roger de Conynck Grant, King Baudouin Foundation (BE)
2017-2022 Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes e.V. Grant (DE)
Awards & Selections
2023 Pitch your photo project, De Donkere Kamer #28, first prize (BE)
2023 UNEXPOSED, PhotoTWENS 2021, laureate (BE)
2022 Roger de Conynck Price, King Baudouin Foundation (BE)
2021 UNEXPOSED, PhotoTWENS 2021, laureate (BE)
2020 FotoForum Talent, FotoForum Brasschaat, laureate (BE)
2019 gute aussichten - new german photography 2019/2020, laureate (DE)