Just across the street from the Koepelhal venues is the NS16 which this year will be hosting exhibitions from our official festival artist, David Fitt, as well as his fellow French creatives, Fortifem. This little oasis of creativity will highlight exactly why David’s work caught our eye and why he has been a go-to collaborator for an ever growing number of musicians (including Dool, and Grave Pleasures to name just two out of the more than a hundred he’s worked with). His emotional and feelings-first approach to photography and filmmaking makes his distinctive style really stand out.
Of his participation in Roadburn 2024, he says the following: “Being asked to create the visual artwork of this year’s edition is like receiving a stamp of approval to what I’ve been doing over the last decade. Roadburn has always been a festival I looked up to for the exigence of its lineup & curation. Therefore, I’m planning to have the biggest showcase of my work to date, including screenings of my videos & photo exhibitions. How I feel right now is beyond excitement.”
The exhibition is titled Empty Hamptons and shows the vulnerable side of its creator. Shot in early 2022 in the Hamptons, Long Island, the images give a confronting and sometimes bleak look into David’s emotional state at the time. For the first time, David himself was the focal point of his work, creating an autobiographical collection of images that centre on the theme of healing.
David’s video work for Roadburn this year featured two familiar faces – those of Adrien and Jesse aka Fortifem. The pair will offer up their own exhibit at the NS16 during Roadburn, showcasing their own distinctive talents. Their style draws as much from the strength of tattoo lines as from the meticulousness of old engravings, always trying to shine a warm light into the darkest ink.
As they explain:
“We’ve always been amazed by Roadburn’s power to gather and elevate hearts through its always-evolving yet always-on-point curation. We’ve seen many dear friends deeply moved by the festival, whether experiencing it from the crowd or from the stage. The unexpected inclusion of the two of us as David Fitt’s models on the poster announcement has led to an invitation to showcase a decade of our work as artists. It’s our first Roadburn, and we are humbled, incredibly grateful, and still can’t quite believe it. We hope you find in our creations some fond memories or echoes of the bands that have accompanied you, as they have for us.”
Please join us to officially open the NS16 exhibitions at 1pm on Thursday, 18 Apri