Joakim Eskildsen (Copenhagen 1971) is a Danish photographic artist with a particular interest for nature as well as social and political themes, eager to understand the world he lives in. His work is shown internationally in museums, galleries, and art fairs. Born in Copenhagen in 1971 where he trained with Royal Court photographer Mrs. Rigmor Mydtskov, he was educated at the Aalto University (formerly University of Art and Design) in Helsinki where he learned the craft of bookmaking with Jyrki Parantainen and Pentti Sammallahti.
Joakim has produced several monographs of his work including Nordic Signs (1995), Bluetide (1997), iChickenMoon (1999), The Roma Journeys (Steidl 2007), American Realities (Steidl 2016) and Cornwall (2018), a poetic photographic study of the county.
The monograph Cuban Studies, the result of extensive journeys through Cuba to investigate the changes the country is facing, will shortly be released by Steidl Publishers (2023). Joakim is currently working on his long-term project Home Works begun when his first child was born, as well as on his most recent project focusing on the eco-sociologic challenges of his immediate surroundings: Nothing Special.
The feature film Nothing Specialby Martin Zarka can be seen following this link: Nothing Special
“Eskildsen’s photographs are nothing short of impeccable”, critics have said. “Hopeful, moving or affected, artistic and documentary, Joakim Eskildsen’s photographs never accuse; they privilege empathy and dignity, with a respectful aim to portray the invisible, those that society tends to forget.“
EXHIBITIONS (selected)
Fotomuseum Winterthur | The National Museum of Photography, Copenhagen | Nikolaj Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center, Copenhagen | Nivågaards malerisamling | Gammel Holtegaard | Skagens museum | Museet for fotokunst, Odense | Kulturhuset, Stockholm | Strandverket, Marstrand | Kristianstads museum | Landskrona konsthall | The Sten- ersen Museum, Oslo | Perspektivet Museum, Tromsø | Kiasma, Helsinki | Amos Anderson Art Museum, Helsinki | The Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki | Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg | Amerika Haus, München | Morat Institut für Kunst und Kunstwissenschaft, Freiburg | Robert Morat Galerie Hamburg/Berlin | Persons Projects, Berlin | Kunsthalle Emden | Kulturforum Burgkloster, Lübeck | Städtische Galerie, Iserlohn | Kuratorium Haus des Buches, Leipzig | Ulmer Kunstverein | Riga Art Space | Suppan Contemporary, Vienna | De Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam | Polka Galerie, Paris | Institut finlandais, Paris | Purdy Hicks, London| Scandinavia House, New York | Bruce Wolkowitz Gallery, New York
PUBLICATIONS (selected) Cuban Studies, with a text by Abel Gozalez Ayalon, Steidl Publishers, in printing Cornwall, Mare Publishers, Hamburg 2018 American Realities, book, texts by Natasha del Toro and Barbara Kiviat, Steidl Publishers, Göttingen 2016 The Roma Journeys, book, texts by Cia Rinne and Günter Grass, Steidl Publishers, Göttingen 2007 (2009) al-Madina, portfolio, in collaboration with Pentti Sammallahti, and Kristoffer Albrecht, text by Cia Rinne, Helsinki 2002 iChickenMoon, book, text by Cia Rinne, Helsinki 1999 Træer, portfolio, Helsinki 1997 Meknès, portfolio, Helsinki 1997 Bluetide, book, text by Cia Rinne, Helsinki 1997 Nordic Signs, book, Helsinki 1995
WORKS IN COLLECTIONS
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston | Portland Art Museum | Fotomuseum Winterthur | Kunsthalle Emden | Städtische Galerie, Iserlohn | Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki | Amos Anderson Art Museum, Helsinki | Carl Gustav Ehrnrooth Collection, Helsinki | Quinzaine Photographique Nantaise, Nantes | Centre national de l’audiovisuel, Luxembourg| Fanø kunstmuseum | Museet for Fotokunst, Odense | Skagens Museum | The National Museum of
Photography, Copenhagen
AWARDS
Deutscher Fotobuchpreis | Amilcare Ponchielli Award | Best Foreign Title, Photo-Eye Book Awards | David Octavius Hill-Medaille | Förderpreis der Otto Pankok Stiftung zugunsten des Romavolks | Photobook Award Kassel | Diplom for årets bedste bogarbejde, Forening for dansk boghåndværk | Kronprinsparrets Stjernedryspris
GALLERIES
Polka Galerie Paris | Persons Projects Berlin | Kant Galerie Copenhagen | Kominek Berlin | Purdy Hicks London | Robert Morat, Berlin