Artistic & Curatorial statement
I started off as a documentary freelance photographer in the alternative scene in Stockholm, Sweden. While working with black and white analogue street photography, I developed a love of storytelling through images but also through words. With photography as a point of departure, I gradually expanded my practice to include combining imagery and language, cinema (camerawork and directing) visual arts, and publishing photo books.
As a photographer, filmmaker and visual artist, I work with themes such as chance and serendipity, how coincidences and out of control situations, can be of great influence on both processes and final results.
My curatorial practices developed when working as an exhibition producer and programme commissioner in Sweden and the Netherlands. Between 2013-2018 I was part of the programme commission of Arti et Amicitiae in Amsterdam, a multi-disciplinary artists association (est. 1855) with an exhibition space in the heart of the city (https://www.arti.nl/).
As an independent curator, I focus mainly on photography but also researchbased projects and community art. In my current project Redirections/THRIFT, I’m researching on how to use and transform already existing pieces of art, objects and found footage into something new and different. I’m intrigued by the fact that this specific art form has a long history, but it didn’t find a common name yet. But artists have been working with second hand art for more than a century! It has been called Modification Paintings (by Asger Jorn) and ‘Re-Directed Art’ (by David Irvine), other people call it up-cycled art or second hand upgraded art.
Contact: wabackm@gmail.com
#mandra_waback / #mandra_ontheroad
Curriculum Vitae
Education
2021-2022 NODE; Master International Curatorial Practises
2014-2015 CPE: Cambridge Proficiency English
2010-2012 Amsterdam School of the Arts: BFA art education
1997-2001 Dutch Film & Television Academy: BFA directing film
1996-1997 University of Amsterdam; science and history of film
1992-1993 San Francisco Art Institute; photography and film
1989-1994 Gerrit Rietveld Academy: BFA audio-visual design
1987-1989 Gymnasium Riddarfjärdsskolan; major in photography
Art & Culture
2021- curator multi-disciplinary exhibition Redirections/THRIFT
2017-2020 treasurer SRWW
2014- president of association Avanti! Framåt!
2014 curator visual arts exhibition Tomorrow Never Knows; Jubilee exhibition Arti 175 year
2013-2017 program commissioner Arti et Amicitiae, gallery and artists society in Amsterdam
2013-2017 curator and exhibition producer photo exhibition Our 80s’
2006-2011 chef editorial Filmstart.nl
2004-2012 coordination media department and documentation for the Robodock Festival
2001- producer/director CUT productions; filmproduction documentary and art films
1994- art educator
1994- photographer, curator, visual artist, film director, producer, screenwriter, performer
Selected group and solo exhibitions photography and visual arts
2022 Dead Darlings, Amsterdam, drawing
2022 SALO X, Paris, drawings
2022 GHT, Inspirational Women Artists, Southampton, drawing
2022 Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam, sculptures in papier-mache
2022 The Holy Art, London, photography
2022 Haarlem Kunst Centrum, photography
2021 W139/Dead Darlings, Amsterdam, photography
2020 Amsterdam Museum, Amsterdam Corona, photography
2020 Kulturhuset, Stockholm, Fria Fotografers Filial, photography
2015 Vårt 80-tal, Stockholm, photography
2015 Le Saint Voilentin: Paris, photography
2014 Le Salaison: The second Sex; Paris, photography
2014 216: Amsterdam, photography
2012 Liljevalchs: Stockholm, photography
2011 Gothenburg Book Fair: video art
2011 Buro: Amsterdam, photography
2010 Melkweg Photo Gallery: Amsterdam, photography
2008 Le Nuit Blanche: Paris, photography
2008 Tou Scene: Stavanger, photography
2007 Spanish Culture Centre of Montevideo: Montevideo
2007 Zinegoak: Bilbao, film
2007 W139 Basement: Amsterdam, mixed media
2007 Van Gogh Museum: Amsterdam, mixed media
Performance / theater / dance 2005-2009
2009 A penny for your thoughts; Eindhoven, NL
2008 Midnight Minnie Revisited; Stavanger / Amsterdam, NL
2007 Yellow; W139 Basement, Amsterdam, NL
2007 White; Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam, NL
2005 Red; ADM, Gallery Chiellerie, Sugar Factory, Amsterdam, NL
Screenings films 2001 – 2015; credited as director, cinematographer, screenwriter and producer
Arti 175 years
documentary / 5 min.
2014 Première jubilee film Arti et Amicitiae
Beautiful Frenzy
documentary / 52 min.
2014 Phono Cinema, Mexico City, MX
2012 Central Museum Utrecht, “God Save the Queen”, NL
2011 Art Kitchen, Amsterdam, NL
2011 NODODOC, Trieste, ITA
2010 Astra Film, ROM
2009 Dutch Punch, Kiev, UKR
2009 Prognose voor de toekomst, Deventer, NL
2008 Cyklopen, Stockholm, S
2007 Mulhouse, F
2007 Cinemateket, Bergen, NO
2007 Cinemateket, Trondheim, NO
2007 Vancover, CAN
2006 Cinemateka, Sao Paolo, BRA
2006 Konstfilmfestivalen, Wagermanska Konsthallen, Skärhamn, S
2006 Dublin St Nicholas of Myra Parish Centre, Dublin, EIR
2005 Cinema Nova, Bruxelle, BE
2005 Bastard, Berlin, DE
2005 Kassablanca, Jena, DE
2005 The DVDrome selection (curated by Floris Van Hoof) at Witte de With, Centre for Contemporary Art International Film Festival Rotterdam, NL
2005 20 years Slachthof Wels festival, AUS
2005 The Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago, U.S.A
2004 Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Austin,Texas, U.S.A
2004 The Ex 25th Anniversary Tour, Netherlands, France and Belgium including Paleis voor de Schone Kunsten, Bruxelle, BE
2004 Lost FilmFestival, Philadelphia, U.S.A
2003 Antimatter Film Festival, Victoria, CAN
2003 Subterranean Cinema, Florida, U.S.A
2003 Washington Underground Film Festival, U.S.A
2003 Noisepop, San Fransisco, U.S.A
2003 Rome Independent Film Festival, Rome, ITA
2002 Kulturhuset, Stockholm, S
2002 Sound and Fury, New York, U.S.A
2002 Fylkingen Film Festival, Stockholm, S
2002 Sound Unseen Film and Music Festival, Minnesota, U.S.A
2002 Cinematexas, Austin, U.S.A
2002 Festival Nights of little Film, Subotica, YU
2002 Chicago Underground Film Festival, U.S.A
2002 art gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN
2002 University of Chicago, Smartmuseum of art, U.S.A
2002 University of Chicago, Smartmuseum of art, U.S.A
2002 Filmhuis Cavia, Amsterdam, NL
2002 Muziekclub 4 AD Diksmuide, BE
2002 Pasthei, ACU, Utrecht, NL
2002 New York Underground Film Festival, U.S.A
2002 Viewpoint Documenatry Film Festival, Gent, BE
2002 alternative bookmarket, Plantagedoklaan Amsterdam, NL
2002 ACU, Utrecht, NL
2001 ADM, NL
2001 premiär International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, NL
broadcasting Beautiful Frenzy
2011 New Zeeland TV
2003 3 to12, web-tv VPRO, NL
2003 Artchannel Amsterdam, NL2002 Slovenian Television, SLO