Last weekend was held the sixth international photography showcase of Unseen taking place in Amsterdam (22-24 September 2017). This year, Unseen presented the first campaign image, created by the Dutch multi-media artist Melanie Bonajo (1978, Heerlen, The Netherlands). Melanie Bonajo created a series of photographic works that were the face of Unseen Amsterdam 2017. In her campaign series, Melanie Bonajo explores the relationship that future generations will have with nature. She questions whether our children will stand up against the power structures that are currently in place and will turn back to nature and the enchantment of the natural world. The series investigates whether a new time will come in which the next generation might find themselves increasingly dehumanised or whether they are secretly creating a new mystical world. Melanie Bonajo said: “Through this photo series commissioned by Unseen, I am giving a voice to the children and focussing on ethics based on a world in between worlds, the long-forgotten power of myths and fairy tale stories. The world of the child who still carries a vision or belief in magic, which was once so near to us all. Together with the children I am exploring how we can pull the mystical spells of the plants into our living rooms in order for us to connect with these irrational shadows. In this series, you can follow the elves at work.”
