Meet the Jury: the Behind The Lens Award

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The Behind the Lens Award recognizes an image maker with expertise in documenting art, exhibitions, and artistic communities, focusing on the Netherlands. Image makers are nominated by a group of approximately 30 art and museum professionals, artists, and editors of magazines and newspapers throughout the country. Selected nominees submit a portfolio for assessment.

The award was made possible by the RAM Foundation from 2021 to 2023 and will be funded by the Mondriaan Fund from 2024 onwards. The prize carries €25,000, acknowledging the critical role of image makers in shaping how art is seen, remembered, and understood.

Other Award Categories

In addition to the Behind the Lens Award, The MELLYs include two other categories, each also carrying a prize of €25,000:

Maker Behind the Maker Award

Honoring the craftspeople, fabricators, and producers whose skills make artistic work possible.

Visionary 010 Award

Recognizing Rotterdam-based cultural leaders whose initiatives shape the city’s creative life.

Meet the Jury: Behind the Lens Award

The jury for the Behind the Lens Award brings together expertise in photography, publishing, and artistic practice, ensuring that the award honors those who shape how art is documented, shared, and remembered.

Femke Rotteveel

Femke Rotteveel is a connector with a large (inter)national network of cultural institutions, photographers, social organizations, funds, (impact) investors, and entrepreneurs. She studied economic and social history at the University of Amsterdam, wrote her thesis in London, and did a research internship in Indonesia. Between 1998 and 2006, she worked as head of the exhibition department at World Press Photo, where she was responsible for organizing and financing the 100 exhibitions that take place worldwide each year. She then spent eight years as Head of Allocations at the Charity Lotteries, where she was responsible for distributing the proceeds from the Postcode Lottery and Friends Lottery to charities, cultural institutions, and social enterprises. In this role, she distributed more than €2.5 billion.

Since 2017, Femke has been director of FOTODOK, a presentation institution in the center of Utrecht where photography projects on social themes take place to broaden perspectives or provide new insights. In addition to FOTODOK's substantive programs, a core task is to guide creators in their development. FOTODOK is actively involved in national and international talent programs such as Lighthouse, FUTURES, and Intergalactica. With the important role of images in the provision of information, our mission is to get the educational program Begrijpend leren kijken (Understanding Visual Literacy) into the regular curriculum. Since 2020, Femke has been chair of the HKU Awards, sits on various international juries, is involved as a mentor in various start-up programs, and is active in the management of organizations such as KLABU, Nationaal Vioolconcours, and the Max Foundation.

Marieke Wiegel

Marieke Wiegel has over twenty-five years of experience working in the cultural field as a manager and curator for institutions including World Press Photo (Amsterdam), Magnum Photos (Paris), Institut Néerlandais (Paris), and Nederlands Fotomuseum (Rotterdam). She is currently Artistic Director of the Foundation Grote Kerk Breda, a 14th-century national monument, where she oversees both the management of the site and a high-quality program in contemporary art and photography. In 2023, she served as photo curator for SPARK Art Fair and is a board member of the Contemporary Art Biennale of Saint Catherine Valley, as well as an adviser to the Mondriaan Foundation.

Specialized in photography, Wiegel also possesses extensive knowledge of contemporary art and graphic design. Over the years, she has curated exhibitions including Guido Geelen – TRANS-FORMED (2025), Maria Roosen – RE-BELLE (2024), Rosângela Rennó – ENCOUNTERS (2024), Newsha Tavakolian – Space to Breathe (BredaPhoto 2022), Charlotte Dumas – Horse Drawn (2021), Koos Breukel – Portray Gallery Sisters (2021), Ed van der Elsken – Lust for Life (2019), Cas Oorthuys (2018), Unwired – Jacqueline Hassink (2018), Ulay – Polaroids (2016), Viviane Sassen – UMBRA (2015), Irma Boom – Architecture of the Book (2013), Charlotte Dumas – Anima (2012), Breitner – Pioneer of Street Photography (2011), Guido van der Werve – Minor Pieces (2009), Erwin Olaf – Rain, Hope, Grief, and Fall (2009), Sandberg – Graphiste et Directeur du Stedelijk Museum d’Amsterdam (2007), Desiree Dorlon / Exaltation – Gaze – Xteriors (2006), and Ed van der Elsken – Bagara (2005).

Matthew Antezzo

Matthew Antezzo is an artist, producer, and photography specialist whose work encompasses visual art, film, and cultural production. He has exhibited internationally, often engaging with themes at the intersection of technology, image-making, and narrative. In recent years, he has collaborated with artists on film projects, extending into the moving image while maintaining a foundation in photography, research, and production.

At Polaroid Amsterdam, where he was Art & Culture Manager, Antezzo organized exhibitions and directed artist support programs, connecting the company’s photographic heritage with contemporary practice. His work emphasized linking Polaroid’s history to current artistic concerns, encouraging dialogue across generations and highlighting the continuing relevance of the medium.

He has also held editorial and research roles with Magnum Photos and Condé Nast, working with archives, photography collections, and graphic production. These experiences deepened his engagement with visual history and the processes of cultural communication. Drawing on this background, Antezzo continues to develop projects in art and film that integrate artistic vision with archival awareness and cultural context, engaging audiences across disciplines.

An Evening of Recognition, Dining, and Celebration

The MELLYs combines an awards ceremony with a seated three-course dinner designed as a shared experience. The program will be moderated by Evita de Roode, and includes a live performance by donna Kukama as well as a dancefloor takeover by DJs Jollyfish. Scenography is by Loui Meeuwissen.

A Vital Fundraiser for Future Programming

Beyond celebration, The MELLYs serves as a vital fundraiser for Kunstinstituut Melly. Proceeds from the evening will directly support the institution’s 2026 programming, including a major retrospective of Moshekwa Langa.

Practical Information

Date: Thursday, 27 November 2025
Location: Arminius, Rotterdam
Tables: Available for 10, 6, or 4 guests; individual seats also available
Information & Reservations: [email protected]