Culture

Culture

Foam: Photography museum featuring international contemporary photography

Foam is the photography museum on Keizersgracht where you often see several exhibitions at once, from documentary to fashion and from new talent to big names. Ideal if you want to see a lot in one hour, and still walk out with a few images that stick.

Anton Corbijn 01 Christian van de Kooy
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Foam is the place for photography in all its guises: from documentary to fashion, from contemporary to historical. A museum with an international allure. In addition to large exhibitions presenting the work of (world) famous photographers, Foam also shows young talent in smaller, rapidly changing exhibitions. At least three different exhibitions are always on view at the same time.

A multifaceted presentation of photography unfolds on several floors in a historic canal house. Several exhibitions alternate in each room, ranging from documentary to fashion and from contemporary to historical. Visitors experience a lively atmosphere where photographs, textures of materials used and subtle light come together.

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The Foam Photography Museum was founded in 2001 by Marloes Krijnen, who was also its first director. The building, a 19th-century renovation by Cornelis Outshoorn, later received a modern transformation by BenthemCrouwel. This combination of old and new also reflects Foam's concept; a place that houses several photography genres at once and offers young talent space alongside world-renowned names. The interior includes intimate rooms and an attic space where workshops take place.

Foam offers up to four exhibitions simultaneously, with programs ranging from fashion photography to documentary and art. In addition to exhibitions, Foam hosts workshops, debate nights, educational projects and a talent development program. The museum also keeps the international photography cream up to date through Foam Magazine, a quadrennial magazine. There is also its own gallery, Foam Editions, which sells handmade photo books and prints.

Foam simultaneously presents up to four photography exhibitions covering all genres between documentary and fashion.

At Foam, photography comes together in a variety of forms and disciplines. The museum continues to grow in its focus on young talent and combines it with in-depth historical and contemporary collections. The building and program structure seem closely intertwined, providing space for both inspiration and learning.




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Foam
Keizersgracht 609, Amsterdam
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Martin Parr at Foam: Vivid imagery and banal scenes
Love Shit: Verena Blok on reproduction in Foam
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EVENTS

03-04-2026 – 12-08-2026

Martin Parr at Foam: Vivid imagery and banal scenes

‘Very Modern and Rather Ugly’ brings iconic photography to Amsterdam

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In recent decades Martin Parr has developed a visual language all his own, in which humor, alienation and keen observation come together. His work focuses on the everyday, but at the same time raises it to a level that is both confrontational and recognizable. In Foam, this unique perspective is made tangible with a carefully curated selection of his most ...

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12-03-2026 - 25-05-2026

Love Shit: Verena Blok on reproduction in Foam

Portraits, diary excerpts and abortion clinic - all at once, without judgment

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How the project came about Blok spent two and a half years photographing pregnant people in different European countries, at different points in their pregnancies. Her experiences in a Dutch abortion clinic raised pressing questions about freedom of choice and autonomy over the female body. Her Dutch-Polish background plays a role in the work: awareness of shifting ...

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Contact

Foam
Keizersgracht 609, Amsterdam
Navigate
Banner
Amsterdam Magazine is about fun things to do, discovering new places and the tastemakers of the city. Subscribe now for € 16 and receive 4 editions.
Order now on coffee-tablebooks.com