Elian Somers lives and works in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
With a background in visual arts and architecture, Elian Somers investigates the urban and architectural landscape in relation to ideology and power, politics and law, and war and conflict. In recent years she has been working on projects as L’Ordonnateur (i.c.w. Hester van Gent, 2024-), A Mountain Afar (2023-), A Stone from the Moon (2015-2022), One and Another State of Yellow (2013-2017), Border Theories (2009-2013), California City (2010-2012) and Droom als er ooit een was (2006-2008). In these long-term, research-based projects she is in search of multiple realities and truths, hidden and underexposed histories, and the utopian experiment.
The works are presented as spatial photography or film installations and can be perceived as critical tools for understanding and figuring out the present and the future. Through the combination of photography/film, cartography and archival materials - from documented and accepted knowledge sources to their undocumented and underexposed counterparts - new perspectives on reality, truth and history are brought to light and generated.

The works have been shown at various art venues and festivals, a.o. Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (SMBA), Amsterdam; Foam, Amsterdam; TENT, Rotterdam; Kunsthalle Wilhelmshaven (DE); MK Galerie, Berlin (DE); International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR); and Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam (AFFR). The works have also been regularly published as artist books, and in art, photography and architecture magazines. The book One and Another State of Yellow (Fw: Books) was published in 2017, and the book Border Theories (Fw: Books) in 2013.
Elian Somers' projects have been financially supported by the Mondriaan Fund, Amsterdam, The Creative Industries Fund NL, Rotterdam, Culture Fund, Amsterdam, and CBK (Centrum Beeldende Kunst) Rotterdam.

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