On November 16, 2023, the Steenbergen Stipendium was awarded for the 26th time at theNederlands Fotomuseum. Uedia Ballijn graduated in 2023 in Cultural Diversity (Social Practices) and Photography. She won the Jury prize with her project ‘In Pursuit of Tongo’. Ballijn receives an incentive prize of 5,000 euros from the Steenbergen Foundation. It is the first time that a graduate of WdKA wins the Jury Prize.
Winner Steenbergen Stipendium 2023, Uedia Ballijn © Blue Exhibit Photography
The jury consisting of Munganyende Hélène Christelle (chairman), Alexandre Furtado Melville and Juul Hondius awarded the Steenbergen Stipend 2023 to Uedia Ballijn. Ballijn impressed the jury with the photography and visual installation project. The jury describes her work as "a trip through space and time, a deep reflection on both the love and fear for a mother language". In their statement, they also write that "the installation symbolizes the exploration of her own lingual identity and the acknowledgement of imposed restrictions. The research shows how negative societal beliefs from a colonial legacy resonate in social spaces and how language wraps around them."
