Most photographers tell the same kind of stories about discovering their talent—they learned it from their grandfather, they picked up a camera at aged seven and never looked back—but Berlin-based photographer Daan Dam tells a much more relatable tale: He started taking photos on hazy nights out to be able to better piece together the fragments the next morning.
Since then, photography has evolved into something more than a memory aid, becoming Dam’s primary means of self expression—an outlet through which to encapsulate his dry humour and satirical wit. Hailing from the Netherlands but based in Berlin for almost the whole of his adult life, Dam claims the unique spirit of the German capital—and the people it attracts—have shaped his entire worldview. Capturing everything from disgruntled strangers to fashion campaigns, Dam’s work traverses the diverse and bizarre offerings this city brings to those who decide to call it their home.
The photographs in his latest exhibition, What Will Our Future Look Like, play with the notion of dystopian futurism, imagining the impending doom humans have created for themselves on this earth. Through his evocative images, Dam walks the fine line between comedy and confrontation.
What Will Our Future Look Like opens 1st August 2019 at FUTURE BERLIN, Köpenicker Strasse 99 from 5pm-10pm.
