February '22 - May '22

Andrea Valdivia

Photography Assistant

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Andrea Valdivia - Meet Andrea Photo credit: Raul Zarabozo ( @raulzar_ )

My name is Andrea, and I am a 21-year-old Peruvian who joined Mediamatic as a photography intern (Feb - May 2022). I was born in Lima, Peru, but moved abroad three years ago for my studies in Communication Science at the University of Amsterdam.

Since I was little, I have always been driven by curiosity and sensitivity, finding strong meaning in the creative world. I have also written articles and photo-essays, which now I publish in my free time (@avldve or @andreavaldiviae on Instagram). 

At Mediamatic, I photographed workshops and events, maintained the online photo archive, and assisted the communications and graphic design for four months. 

After collaborating with different international artists and interns, I can now say I enjoy taking portraits of people, and be aware of the different in-between moments which usually pass us by.

With this experience, I discovered my interest in themes like culture, introspection, and community, all of which are great to explore using visual storytelling, as I was able to research during this time.

I am more than grateful to have met people I admire for their artistic vision and creative drive. Of almost 300 photos, here I leave you to enjoy a selection of my all time favourite ones:

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I-Chen Zuffellato in Gluttony - I-Chen during Gluttony in the Sin Eaters Dinner!   I-chen is illustrating how our guests will have to cover their faces using their napkins for our course 'Gluttony'.  The Sin Eaters is a 8-course dinner that explores how the natural world can be harnessed to achieve balance in body and mind, according to Hildegard von Bingen. Thereby the dinner focusses on 8 deadly sins. From anger to lust and from gluttony to pride, each dark emotion turns into an edible spectacle that gives the opportunity to eat away your sins. Andrea Valdivia

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A cure to let anger go - Sin Eaters Dinner Our guest is curiously smelling the elixir scent that was given to them to cure the anger that our Anger dish may have provoked on them during our Sin Eaters dinner.  The Sin Eaters is a 8-course dinner explores how the natural world can be harnessed to achieve balance in body and mind, according to Hildegard von Bingen. Thereby the dinner focusses on 8 deadly sins. From anger to lust and from gluttony to pride, each dark emotion turns into an edible spectacle that gives the opportunity to eat… Andrea Valdivia

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Our guests holding a rose petal as a sign of Lust! - Sin Eaters Dinner! Lust is a dish that formed part of our Sin Eaters Dinner this February. For this dish, our guests were served the dish in their palm, after being given rose petals to place in their eyes and cleaned their hands with a towel. In this photo, our guest is immersed with awe after experiencing Lust, listening to the prayer that is being held in the name of Holy Hildegard, and focused on her breathing. The Sin Eaters is a 8-course dinner explores how the natural world can be harnessed to achieve… Andrea Valdivia

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Alice serving Gluttony - Get to know the master minds behind Sin Eaters Dinner! Alice Héron is one of our chefs who curates our Sin Eaters dinners along with Martin Butler.  Here, Alice is serving the dish Gluttony as part of our February 2022 Sin Eaters dinner.  The Sin Eaters is a 8-course dinner explores how the natural world can be harnessed to achieve balance in body and mind, according to Hildegard von Bingen. Thereby the dinner focusses on 8 deadly sins. From anger to lust and from gluttony to pride, each dark emotion turns into an edible spectacle that gives the… Andrea Valdivia

With: Alice Héron

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Portraits: Ana harvesting - Aquaponics Our communication intern Ana is harvesting some mint from our aquaponics farm to serve in our restaurant dishes.  As part of our philosophy surrounding sustainable dining and celebrating nature around us, we try to use our homegrown plants and herbs as much as possible. Our aquaponics greenhouse boasts a variety of greens that are incorporated in our dishes and drinks in our Serres Séparées dinners. Photo taken April 12th, 2022.  Andrea Valdivia

With: Ana Brichta

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Tumulus bowl - Meet Ruchama Noorda's Tumulus Hut This is a photo of Ruchama Noord's rebuilt Tumulus after several weeks of work: her Tumulus Hermit Hut II. Here is a decorative bowl accompanying her installation. As a bio-based enclosed installation, the Tumulus has been rebuilt by Ruchama with more resistant natural materials: recycled construction debris, moss-covered rocks, and her own broken ceramics. Once again, she has been given the opportunity to redesign and stabilize her living structure, this time in relation to the architecture… Andrea Valdivia

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Alice preparing Gluttony - Get to know the master minds behind Sin Eaters Dinner! Alice Héron is one of our chefs who curates our Sin Eaters dinners along with Martin Butler.  Here, Alice is serving the dish Gluttony as part of our February 2022 Sin Eaters dinner, where our guests would have to eat this dish without using their hands.  The Sin Eaters is a 8-course dinner explores how the natural world can be harnessed to achieve balance in body and mind, according to Hildegard von Bingen. Thereby the dinner focusses on 8 deadly sins. From anger to lust and from gluttony to… Andrea Valdivia

With: Alice Héron

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Our guests await Lust - Our guests holding a rose petal as a sign of Lust! Lust is a dish that formed part of our Sin Eaters Dinner this February. For this dish, our guests were served the dish in their palm, after being given rose petals to place in their eyes and cleaned their hands with a towel. In this photo, they have been instructed to put the petals in their eyes and meditate with a few words from our host and are immersed in the experience of Lust. The Sin Eaters is a 8-course dinner explores how the natural world can be harnessed to achieve balance in body… Andrea Valdivia

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Our guests meditating with Lust - Our guests holding a rose petal as a sign of Lust! Lust is a dish that formed part of our Sin Eaters Dinner this February. For this dish, our guests were served the dish in their palm, after being given rose petals to place in their eyes and cleaned their hands with a towel. In this photo, they have been instructed to put the petals in their eyes and meditate with a few words from our host. The Sin Eaters is a 8-course dinner explores how the natural world can be harnessed to achieve balance in body and mind, according to Hildegard von Bingen. Andrea Valdivia

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Communal Gluttonous Eating - The Sin Eaters Dinner In this photo, our guests are eating the dish Gluttony as part of our February 2022 Sin Eaters dinner, as they were indicated to do so without using their hands.  The Sin Eaters is a 8-course dinner explores how the natural world can be harnessed to achieve balance in body and mind, according to Hildegard von Bingen. Thereby the dinner focusses on 8 deadly sins. From anger to lust and from gluttony to pride, each dark emotion turns into an edible spectacle that gives the opportunity to eat away… Andrea Valdivia

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Frieslanders ready! - Serres Séparées The Frieslander is a dish part of the menu curated by chef Gino Marengo for our Serres Séparées. Here, our sous-chef Nicola Consoli is preparing this main dish for our guests.  The Serres Séparées are a corona inspired extension of our restaurant service. In private little greenhouses for two or four persons, you can share a fine dining experience with your intimi. In restaurants and bars, a separate room is traditionally named in French: "chambre séparée". It suggests a sexy kind of intimacy Andrea Valdivia

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Portraits: Anna Lina smiling with a strawberry - Smelling like another being! Here, our intern Anna Lina Litz is smelling some strawberry scents during the workshop 'Smelling like another being'. 'Smelling like another being' is a workshop hosted by our lecturer Frank Bloem, which promotes awareness about the diversity of species in our ecosystem by smelling. This workshop consists of creating scents in a lab using different substances based on different types of species (namely microbes, plants, fungus, animals and minerals).  Photo taken in May 3rd, 2022.  Andrea Valdivia

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Towards embroidering a mannequin - Radical Embroidery Our guest is embroidering during the Radical Embroidery workshop. Radical Embroidery is a workshop guided by artist and fashion designer Desirée Hammen, where guests created your own piece of radical embroidery. Here, our guests learned some basic stitches and techniques as well as engage with embroidery in its transformation as a craft, its subversive nature and explore how it can be used   to bring forth taboos, uncomfortable topics and challenge social norms. Photo taken in March 12th, 2022. Andrea Valdivia

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Fredrik creating his magnesium mask - Fun at Open Costume Lab trial! Fred is creating a magnesium mask during our trial Costume Lab. He and Anouk, our workshop host, have been preparing this upcoming workshop for Mediamatic. In the Open Costume Lab, you get to make a costume, offering a place for experimentation and design research on how to mimic various species in fabric and other materials. Andrea Valdivia

With: Fredrik Link

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Anna Lina and Mares smelling - Smelling like another being! Here, our guests Anna Lina Litz (left) and Mares Sirou (right) are smelling some strawberry scents during the workshop. 'Smelling like another being' is a workshop hosted by our lecturer Frank Bloem, which promotes awareness about the diversity of species in our ecosystem by smelling. This workshop consists of creating scents in a lab using different substances based on different types of species (namely microbes, plants, fungus, animals and minerals).  Photo taken in May 3rd, 2022.  Andrea Valdivia

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Portrait: Conny with a knitting ring - Knit for Survival! In our knitting workshop, our workshop lecturer Conny is  playing with a knitting ring to knit a sweater for herself and show us her work. Knitting for Survival is a workshop that seeks to help Ukraine by teaching people how to knit sweaters to reduce our gas dependency on Russia. Knitting doesn't have to be hard. In our knitting sessions, our guests did not need to be an experienced needle worker at all. They were provide beginner tools and instructions next to the most advanced and… Andrea Valdivia

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Ana curiously staring at exhibition - Border Ecologies Our communication intern Ana is getting a closer look at our exhibition Border Ecologies! This installation collects testimonies of the Qudaih family, who have had to adapt and transform their farming practices due to the restrictions and violences they faced from the Israeli military. It presents photos and videos from the agricultural community of Khuza’a, as well as a tablecloth that narrates chronologically the stories of its farms and its people. Photo taken in March 2nd, 2022.  Andrea Valdivia

With: Ana Brichta

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Table clothe - Border Ecologies A close-up photo of one of the table clothe and crafted dishes especially designed for the Border Ecologies exhibition. This was exhibited in our restaurant for over three months. This installation collects testimonies of the Qudaih family, who have had to adapt and transform their farming practices due to the restrictions and violences they faced from the Israeli military. It presents photos and videos from the agricultural community of Khuza’a, as well as a tablecloth that narrates… Andrea Valdivia

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A gaze with pride - A subtle message to eat with Pride in our Sin Eaters dinner! Pride is a dish that formed part of our Sin Eaters Dinner this February 2022. For this dish, our guests were served the dish with a mirror in front of them so that they would eat looking at themselves in it. As a treat, they were given a message 'You will never be this young again'. The Sin Eaters is a 8-course dinner explores how the natural world can be harnessed to achieve balance in body and mind, according to Hildegard von Bingen. Thereby the dinner focusses on 8 deadly sins. From anger to… Andrea Valdivia

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Our guests holding a rose petal as a sign of Lust! - Sin Eaters Dinner Lust is a dish that formed part of our Sin Eaters Dinner this February. For this dish, our guests were served the dish in their palm, after being given rose petals to place in their eyes and cleaned their hands with a towel. In this photo, our guest is smiling with joy after experiencing Lust. The Sin Eaters is a 8-course dinner explores how the natural world can be harnessed to achieve balance in body and mind, according to Hildegard von Bingen. Thereby the dinner focusses on 8 deadly sins. Andrea Valdivia

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Gluttonous Eating - The Sin Eaters Dinner In this photo, our guest is eating the dish Gluttony as part of our February 2022 Sin Eaters dinner, as they were indicated to do so without using their hands.  The Sin Eaters is a 8-course dinner explores how the natural world can be harnessed to achieve balance in body and mind, according to Hildegard von Bingen. Thereby the dinner focusses on 8 deadly sins. From anger to lust and from gluttony to pride, each dark emotion turns into an edible spectacle that gives the opportunity to eat away… Andrea Valdivia

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Portraits: Ana and mint - Aquaponics Our communication intern Ana is harvesting some mint from our aquaponics farm to serve in our restaurant dishes.  As part of our philosophy surrounding sustainable dining and celebrating nature around us, we try to use our homegrown plants and herbs as much as possible. Our aquaponics greenhouse boasts a variety of greens that are incorporated in our dishes and drinks in our Serres Séparées dinners. Photo taken April 12th, 2022.  Andrea Valdivia

With: Ana Brichta

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Cutting fabrics - Radical Embroidery Our guest is cutting fabrics for her embroidery during the Radical Embroidery workshop. Radical Embroidery is a workshop guided by artist and fashion designer Desirée Hammen, where guests created your own piece of radical embroidery. Here, our guests learned some basic stitches and techniques as well as engage with embroidery in its transformation as a craft, its subversive nature and explore how it can be used   to bring forth taboos, uncomfortable topics and challenge social norms. Photo… Andrea Valdivia

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Ana observing exhibition - Border Ecologies Our communication intern Ana is getting a closer look at our exhibition Border Ecologies! This installation collects testimonies of the Qudaih family, who have had to adapt and transform their farming practices due to the restrictions and violences they faced from the Israeli military. It presents photos and videos from the agricultural community of Khuza’a, as well as a tablecloth that narrates chronologically the stories of its farms and its people. Photo taken in March 2nd, 2022.  Andrea Valdivia

With: Ana Brichta

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Portrait: Fenella harvesting - Aquaponics Our aquaponics intern Fenella is harvesting some Indian cress from our aquaponics farm to serve in our restaurant dishes.  As part of our philosophy surrounding sustainable dining and celebrating nature around us, we try to use our homegrown plants and herbs as much as possible. Our aquaponics greenhouse boasts a variety of greens that are incorporated in our dishes and drinks in our Serres Séparées dinners. Photo taken April 12th, 2022.  Andrea Valdivia

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Wasabi flowers bloom - Meet our harvest! In our aquaponics farm, we have been seeing some Wasabi flowers blooming with the help of our aquaponics interns Stefan and Thibaut.  Photo taken on February 7th, 2022. Andrea Valdivia

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Head chef Gino Marengo peeling onions - Meet Gino! Growing up in Suriname, with a hunting grandfather who picked game directly from the forest, Gino came into contact with animals, fresh ingredients and rich dishes from an early age. He ate everything from iguana eggs to armored fish , but he didn't like vegetables. "Sopropo, boulanger, it all tasted so bitter, it was way too intense!" He now transforms every vegetable into a sensational spectacle, reinterpreting traditional dishes in a surprising way, connecting food cultures, flavors and… Andrea Valdivia

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Portraits: Ana smelling tomato scent - Smelling like another being! Here, our intern Ana Brichta is smelling some strawberry scents during the workshop 'Smelling like another being'. 'Smelling like another being' is a workshop hosted by our lecturer Frank Bloem, which promotes awareness about the diversity of species in our ecosystem by smelling. This workshop consists of creating scents in a lab using different substances based on different types of species (namely microbes, plants, fungus, animals and minerals).  Photo taken in May 3rd, 2022.  Andrea Valdivia

With: Ana Brichta

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