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Sarah van Rij and David van der Leeuw
Sarah van Rij and David van der Leeuw
Sarah van Rij and David van der Leeuw
Sarah van Rij and David van der Leeuw
Sarah van Rij and David van der Leeuw
Sarah van Rij and David van der Leeuw
Sarah van Rij and David van der Leeuw
Sarah van Rij and David van der Leeuw
Sarah van Rij and David van der Leeuw
Sarah van Rij and David van der Leeuw
Sarah van Rij and David van der Leeuw
From January 18 to 21, 2027EXPERIMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY

SARAH VAN RIJ AND DAVID VAN DER LEEUW

Layers
Exploring perception, ambiguity and transformation through photography
Academy Workshop
Sale price€2.490,00
Finance my workshop

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW

Layers are one of the most important and recurring ideas throughout the practice of Sarah van Rij and David van der Leeuw.

During this four day workshop, participants will explore layering both as a visual tool and as a way of thinking about how an image is built.

Layers can emerge through glass, reflections, shadows, materials, overlapping planes, fragments, depth of field or the relationship between objects and space. But the workshop also looks beyond the literal construction of an image, asking how different visual, spatial and narrative layers can coexist within a single work.

How can an image reveal itself gradually rather than all at once? How can photography leave room for ambiguity? And how can a photograph invite the viewer to look longer, make connections and decipher something for themselves?

These questions sit at the heart of the workshop.

Through daily shooting sessions in Venice, image reviews, practical experimentation and a final collage session, participants will investigate how layers can influence not only the structure of an image, but also its atmosphere, meaning and emotional impact.

The final day extends this exploration into a physical process. Working with prints of their own photographs, participants will cut, combine and rearrange images into new compositions, experiencing layering not only within the photographic frame, but as a way of reconsidering and transforming work they have already made.

The workshop is conceived as a space for experimentation, observation and exchange, encouraging each participant to develop a more personal understanding of how images can be constructed, fragmented and reimagined.

DURATION & LOCATION
SAN SERVOLO, VENICE 4 DAYS

LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION

English

REQUIRED LEVEL

Participants should already be comfortable using their camera independently and have a basic understanding of exposure and focus. The workshop is intended for enthusiastic amateurs and more experienced photographers who want to develop a more experimental, intuitive and personal approach to image making. No previous experience with collage or mixed media is required.

MAX PARTICIPANTS

12

BIO

ABOUT SARAH VAN RIJ

Sarah van Rij, born in 1990 in the Netherlands, lives and works between Amsterdam and Paris.

A self taught artist, she began working with photography in 2018, gradually expanding her practice to include landscape, still life, portraiture and, more recently, handmade collage.

Her work is characterised by an acute sensitivity to detail, layers and atmosphere. Through fragmented imagery, shifting perspectives and layered compositions, she explores the relationship between memory and time, and the ways in which perception can transform the familiar into something ambiguous or imagined.

She has presented solo exhibitions at institutions including La MEP in Paris and Deichtorhallen in Hamburg, and has participated in a group exhibition at the Dutch National Museum of Photography. Her work has also been shown at international photography festivals, most recently at T3 Photo Festival Tokyo.

Alongside her individual practice, Van Rij regularly collaborates with her partner of fourteen years, artist David van der Leeuw. Together, they have exhibited internationally, including at the Chiba Prefectural Museum of Art in Japan. Pareidolia marks their second publication together, following Metropolitan Melancholia in 2023.

They are currently developing a new body of work that expands their collaborative practice beyond photography, exploring installation and other spatial forms alongside the photographic image. Their work has been featured in international publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, i D, Aperture Magazine and Vogue Italia.

ABOUT DAVID VAN DER LEEUW

David van der Leeuw, born in 1989 in the Netherlands, is an artist and photographer working between Amsterdam and Paris.

His practice explores memory, perception and the passage of time, using photography to examine the shifting relationship between the familiar and the imaginary.

Informed by painting and cinema, his layered photographs combine a sensitivity to colour and light with an interest in abstraction. Through reflections, overlapping planes and shifts in depth of field, he draws the eye between sharp detail and dissolving forms.

Moving between observation and construction, he transforms everyday environments and objects into images that feel at once recognisable and elusive.

Alongside his independent artistic practice, van der Leeuw undertakes commissions for leading international fashion houses and editorial clients. His work has been exhibited in museums and galleries.

He collaborates closely with Sarah van Rij, with whom he published Metropolitan Melancholia with Kominek in 2023 and exhibited at the Chiba Prefectural Museum of Art in Japan. Together, they are currently working on two new books and exhibitions, while David is also developing new individual exhibitions and photographic installations.

PEDAGOGICAL LEARNING

  • Participants will explore how layering can be used both visually and conceptually within photographic practice.
  • They will learn to work with reflections, glass, shadows, materials, still life, abstraction and overlapping visual planes, while considering how these elements affect depth, atmosphere and perception.
  • The workshop will also encourage participants to think about the relationship between the familiar and the ambiguous, and how an image can gradually reveal itself rather than communicate everything immediately.
  • Through image reviews and practical exercises, participants will reflect on what their photographs might need, whether a contrasting form, a connecting element, a different background or a shift in perspective.
  • The final collage session will introduce another way of working with photographic material, allowing participants to transform and reinterpret their own images through cutting, combining and recomposition.

SKILLS TARGETED

  • Layered photographic composition
  • Street photography
  • Working with reflections and glass
  • Light, shadow and transparency
  • Still life photography
  • Abstraction
  • Colour and atmosphere
  • Depth and overlapping planes
  • Visual ambiguity
  • Image selection
  • Developing visual relationships between photographs
  • Physical collage
  • Recomposition and transformation of photographic images
  • Collective image review and discussion

TARGET AUDIENCE

This workshop is designed for photographers and visual artists who want to explore a more experimental and intuitive approach to image making.

It is suitable for participants interested in composition, abstraction, colour, still life, street photography, visual storytelling and the possibilities of combining photographic images in new ways.

Participants should already be comfortable using their camera independently.

Both colour and black and white photography are welcome.

PREREQUISITES

Participants should bring a camera they are comfortable using, their preferred lens or lenses, charged batteries, memory cards and all necessary accessories.

A laptop or tablet for reviewing and selecting photographs is recommended.

Participants should also be prepared to work with printed material, scissors and physical collage techniques during the final day.

No previous experience with collage is required.

Detailed program

DAY 1

INTRODUCTION & EXPLORATION

10:00 am | Introduction

After getting to know one another and introducing the theme of layers, we will head into Venice to photograph and explore.

In the late afternoon, we will meet again to look at the images, exchange impressions and discuss possible directions for each participant.

DAY 2

CREATING LAYERS

A day dedicated to actively creating layers within photographs.

Through reflections, glass, shadows, materials and still life, participants will experiment with composition, depth and perception, considering how their choices shape an image’s atmosphere and meaning.

DAY 3

FINDING ABSTRACTIONS

Exploring Venice in search of abstract forms, textures, colours and fragments, with potential collages in mind.

Participants will consider what their existing images might need: a contrasting shape, a connecting element or an unexpected background.

At the end of the day, we will print the photographs they wish to work with.

DAY 4

COLLAGE & COLLECTIVE REVIEW

Working with their own prints, participants will cut, combine and rearrange photographs into new compositions, exploring how images can transform and take on different meanings.

We will finish with a shared presentation and discussion, reflecting on the work and discoveries made throughout the four days.

The workshop ends at 4:00 pm.

This programme is indicative and may be adjusted by the Instructors to best respond to the needs and dynamics of the group.
What's included
  • Four day workshop with Sarah van Rij and David van der Leeuw
  • Small group format
  • Guided photographic sessions in Venice
  • Daily image reviews and discussions
  • Practical exercises around layering, abstraction and composition
  • Printing of selected photographs for the collage session
  • Collage materials for the final day
  • Final collective presentation and discussion
  • Access to the workshop space on San Servolo Island
What's not included
  • Meals - there is a cafeteria and a restaurant available on San Servolo Island
  • Return transport to Venice and San Servolo
  • Accommodation: 100 rooms are available on site, in San Servolo, otherwise you'll need to arrange your own accommodation in Venice.
  • Vaporettos and other water cabs
  • All insurance cover for lost or stolen luggage, delayed or cancelled transport, theft or breakage of equipment during the workshop.
Evaluation methods
  • Continuous assessment through daily individual feedback and group discussions
  • Final presentation of each participant’s work during the collective screening
  • End-of-session evaluation and self-assessment form to measure satisfaction and learning outcomes
  • Access to a shared alumni group for post-workshop dialogue and creative exchange
After the training
  • Participants’ work may be featured through Venezia Photo’s communication channels (newsletter, website, social media).
  • A private online group will allow participants to stay connected, share projects, and continue discussions beyond the workshop.
Accessibility

All efforts are made to accommodate participants with disabilities. Please contact us in advance for adaptation of conditions.