Dutch Photographer Hans van der Kamp started working in a photo lab at age 18. In the evenings he irregularly visited an art academy where photography was still an issue of fierce debate. Was this ‘new’ technique considered to be art or even fine art? These discussions left a huge mark on his early works. Soon however he distanced himself from his education and returned to his first love: straight forward black & white photography with a lot of emphasis on portraiture.



Currently working on a Dollification series – All photographs © Hans van der Kamp

In 1996 Hans van der Kamp founded AMEA // World Museum of Erotic Art. This site was originally meant as a pastiche on existing sex sites, but due to fast increasing popularity on the web, the site became one of the larger and more serious sites about erotic art on the web. Up to this day Van der Kamp is acting as the main curator of the on line museum and it was in this capacity he was consulted by Alexander Donskoi, owner and curator of the first museum of erotic art in Moscow that opened in June. This resulted in a visit by Van der Kamp to Moscow where he instantly fell in love with the city and its people.
Ideas were exchanged. Donskoi and his interpreter turned out to be perfect hosts and a deal was made for the purchase of 30 works by Van der Kamp to be exhibited at the opening.

The Moscow museum is now subject to controversy in Russia. The mayor of Moscow has sent a representative to Donskoi to show his dismay. Donskoi, a firm believer in freedom in general and a known opponent of both the Putin regime and the growing influence of the Orthodox Church is holding a firm stand.
We at AMEA are keeping our fingers crossed, because Donskoi’s earlier clashes with the Putin regime during his years as mayor of Arkhangelsk have placed him at odds with old time Russian politics, resulting in arrests and jail sentences that were later revoked by the legal magistrates. Very few Russians believed in the legality of the arrests in the first place, since Alexander Donskoi had announced to run for president, which was – to put it mildly – quite challenging in this country with its one party democracy.