Honorable Mention

Wish you were here
DESCRIPTION
What is it about?An unexpected, broken friendship forms the starting point of this photo . We see an intimate, quiet image that reveals the pain of letting go, as well as the search for forgiveness and connection.
Why now?
In a time where everything seems to move faster, louder, and more individualistic, we’re losing something essential: genuine attention for one another. From a personal experience, I question how we deal with rupture—not only in relationships, but also within society. This series is my response to a world that is becoming increasingly polarized.
How?
Using a poetic and at times confrontational visual language, I aim to make the viewer pause. I use naked, domestic scenes that strike a direct emotional chord while also raising questions. By visually alienating everyday contexts, I invite a different way of seeing. There are subtle references to the work of Edward Hopper, in the stillness and solitude that characterize this image.
Broader context
This picture is part of a project which is rooted in my own grief, but also touches on something larger. How do we relate to one another in a time of growing distrust and mental unrest? By opening up a personal experience, I create space for recognition and reflection. It’s an invitation to reconnect—with each other, and with ourselves.
AUTHOR
Rik Roos is a Dutch photographer based in Amsterdam, graduated at the Academy for Photography (FOAC) in 2025 with the series and book Echoes of Desire. Rik also completed modules at the International Center for Photography (ICP) in New York.The work of Rik Roos explores intimate emotional themes; desire, loneliness, regret, often rooted in personal experience but resonating universally. He also addresses broader social issues, such as industrial farming, through projects like a photographic ‘requiem’ for pigs, inspired by the concept of the ‘guilty landscape’.
Rik draws inspiration from arthouse cinema and works close to the core of photography, limiting post-processing to preserve authenticity, comparable to the ethos of Dogma 95 in film. In doing so, his compassion is fueled by diversified cultural, social, and global perspectives, derived from over 30 years of experience in leading multi-year projects accross Asia Pacific, the Middle East, the USA and Europe.