Exhibitions

A good photograph adorns the wall of a house just as much as a painting.

May 30, 2010 – Pedro Soler. Photographers María Manzanera, Jerome Van Passel, and César Cerón have mounted an exhibition at the gallery Detrás del Rollo (Angie Meca) under the title “La naturaleza inventada” (Invented Nature). The title inspired María to create surreal photos about altered nature. Jerome’s work captured trees from El Valle or Moratalla, and César’s featured photographs of smoke. Read more (Spanish)

Invented Nature

What sets us apart from other species on this planet is that humans supposedly have self-awareness, meaning we are conscious of our own existence. But is this truly the case, or is it just something we imagine? Our minds are capable of creating such different impressions that it leaves a question as to whether our reality is not an invented nature.

These series of work we have created together are a testament to our ability to transcend reality. Our nature could be as we invent it if we want it to be. We could be different from animals when we use our incredibly diverse minds for the good of all.

I have returned to the forests of my childhood, enjoying all the colors of every season and dreaming about everything I imagine seeing in the branches. Each time I look at them, I see different shapes and dream different things. I believe this happens to all of us because I think what distinguishes us from other forms of life is what we can imagine.

Jerome van Passel – 2010

Photographers paint with light

March 28, 2012 – Manuel Herrero. He’s Dutch, but the love of a woman from Murcia captured Jerome van Passel in the village of Santo Ángel, where they live with their two children.

He left his job as a department head for DHL’s Technical Service in his home country. His specialties are IT and photography, the latter of which has earned him several awards. Until April 20, he is exhibiting a selection of photographs titled “El Sabinar 0611” at the General Archive of Murcia.

The original text can be found here: Los fotógrafos pintamos con la luz

Exhibition in Moratalla

One of the many places I’ve had the pleasure of exhibiting my work is in Moratalla (Murcia). This experience was particularly meaningful because the photographs were displayed not only in the town of Moratalla but also in the small village of El Sabinar, which belongs to the same municipality.

Having the exhibition in both locations created a unique connection between the urban center and the rural community. It allowed the photographs to be seen by a broader audience while also bringing the images directly back to the people and places they portray, which made for a very special and personal showing.

Exhibition in Jumilla

November 19, 2012. Last week, the photographic exhibition by Jérôme van Passel was inaugurated as part of the Municipal Public Library’s activities of Jumilla, included within this quarter’s Cultural Agenda.

The collection of photographs from the village of El Sabinar, in Moratalla, is composed of 38 photos with a very good technique, as stated by the Mayor. The collection captures the life of the village through climatic, cultural, festive, and gastronomic aspects—in short, a small sample of what life is like in El Sabinar, Moratalla. He therefore invited everyone in Jumilla to visit this photographic exhibition.

The author himself expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to exhibit in this museum, explaining that “0611” means he began taking the photos on display in 2006 and finished in 2011. He has exhibited in different areas of the Murcia Region, he said, including in the village of El Sabinar itself, where his different vision surprised visitors. He describes his own vision as that of a “guiri” (foreigner), emphasizing that many of his compatriots would love to enjoy a rural house in areas where the culture remains alive. In his home country, that connection to the past has been lost since the reconstruction after World War II, while in Spain, these customs are still maintained—a raw diamond of traditional life and culture. You can find the original article over here (Spanish): Exposición fotográfica en el Museo Etnográfico y de Ciencias de la Naturaleza en Jumilla

The TSF agenda

Mid-2013, one of the owners of TSF, the oldest printing company in the city of Murcia and a long-time client, approached me with a proposal: to create and sell a agenda with my photos.

This idea came from the printing company’s need to find new products to stay competitive against modern printing methods, especially online services. The plan was to produce a high-quality, luxury item that would make an ideal Christmas gift. I was asked to collaborate on the project, and I immediately said yes.

Kalender in Bildern (Agenda in pictures)

Costa Nachrichten supports its German-speaking readers week after week with its print and digital editions, featuring local and national news from Spain for residents and those interested in Spain.

December 2013. Dutch photographer Jerome van Passel, from Murcia, embarked on a journey through the region with his camera and returned with 54 images that capture the cultural and rural heritage of Murcia. The works appear in a 2014 notebook calendar that the publisher Tipografía San Francisco is marketing as an original Christmas gift. The basilica of Yecla, the coast of Calabardina and the donkey of Torre-Pacheco are some of the motifs. The calendar costs €23.50 and is available at El Corte Inglés and bookshops in Murcia. The article was published in 2013 by costanachrichten.com.

March 14, 2014. The program “Cultural Gallery” has organized the first CHANGE event, where works by various artists are exhibited and can be acquired not with money, but with any other item or service given in exchange.

The event will be held with the sponsorship of the Art Gallery “Progreso 80,” located at 80 Progreso Street in Murcia. This is the idea behind “changer art,” or the exchange of works without money: bringing bartering to the art world.

The objectives of the Cultural Gallery program are to encourage viewers to visit more art galleries, help spread art, and boost and strengthen the cultural fabric of our region, which is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. This proposal is not just for a young audience; it’s aimed at everyone interested in artistic and cultural values. This is not an elitist event detached from social reality, as those who dare to participate in this art gathering will see.

Here you can watch an interview with Jerome van Passel and the other participating artists (Spanish): CHANGE 2014

Political Parties and Dangerous Gangs

May 2, 2014. Under the title “Partidos Políticos Y Otras Peligrosas Bandas” (Political Parties and Dangerous Gangs), the artist Cantabella  (Carmen Cantabella) is presenting six different billboards at the entrances to the city of Murcia.

The Dutch photographer Jerome van Passel participated in this exhibition. This show completes the trilogy “La Sombra de la Guillotina” (The Shadow of the Guillotine), along with two previous exhibitions also seen in Murcia: “La moda de España” (The Fashion of Spain) and “Reformas” (Reforms).

These works aim to show that being a citizen is an exercise in permanent alertness and fear, which is the opposite of the attitude of abandonment, unconsciousness, and resignation that we’re accustomed to in Spain. It is a paradox, she believes, that for a citizen to be truly free, they must live with the fear of losing their freedom.

You can find more information over here (Spanish): Exposición de Cantabella en vallas publicitarias

On July 28, 2018, I received an email from Alicia Fernández Solla asking if I would be willing to participate in a photography exhibition at the Instituto Cervantes. The exhibition was being organized to mark the 450th anniversary of the Eighty Years’ War (at that time, between the Dutch provinces and the Spanish Empire).

Alicia had found my website online and reached out because I live near Cartagena. This port city had played a significant role in the Eighty Years’ War, as it was the place where Spanish soldiers were shipped to Genoa. The idea was to take a portrait of me in Cartagena by the ruins of the Torre de Navidad.

Crossed Portaits

From September 15, 2018, to November 12, 2018 – Instituto Cervantes. To mark the 450th anniversary of the start of the Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648), we present the photographic exhibition “Retratos cruzados” (Crossed Portraits).

Its 15 photographs feature anonymous individuals: Spaniards residing in the Netherlands and Belgium, and the Dutch and Flemish Belgians living in Spain. They were all photographed in their current places of residence, which are historically linked to the Eighty Years’ War.

The exhibition can be visited starting September 15, the “Uitfeest” open-door day, during regular opening hours. The portraits were taken by Alicia Fernández Solla, a documentary photographer and co-founder of Gaceta Holandesa.

Photograph © Alicia Fernández Solla

The following exhibition is very dear to me for several reasons. First, because I was able to convince my neighbor, Antonio Moreno, to set up this exhibition and assist him in the process. But the most important reason is my participation in the exhibition with my dog, Bruno, who sadly passed away from cancer before the exhibition even ended.

Animals and their pets

April 27, 2022. This was one of the exhibitions where I had the privilege of actively collaborating and participating. A few years before Antonio Moreno Abellán conceived this show, he consulted me about the ins and outs of organizing an exhibition. From that conversation and collaboration, his project “Monteliso a la vista” (Monteliso in Sight) was born.

Later, Antonio had the idea to portray dog owners with their pets, or “animals and their pets“, and I again had the opportunity to collaborate on the project. In addition to participating with my own dog, I was responsible for creating the promotional video and managing the publicity.

A nice detail: the musical accompaniment was provided by the Libero String Orchestra, a Dutch orchestra made up of mainly Spanish musicians. Antonio’s son was a part of this orchestra.

This exhibition is very special because it captures 10 years of cultural events at the Santo Ángel Cultural Center.

At the end of 2023, Matilde, the director, approached me with the request for this retrospective exhibition. What I didn’t know at the time was that this exhibition would be Matilde’s final project before she retired after 15 years of leading the center. I selected 60 photos that perfectly reflect the enormous variety of cultural activities that had taken place over the years.

This exhibition also serves as a testament to the hard work put into culture, a sector that is often neglected and does not receive the appreciation it deserves. This became a permanent exhibition at the center

Culture as an expression of identity

April 2024. This was a photography exhibition that offered visitors a historical journey, reflecting the great cultural richness that the Santo Ángel Cultural Center has provided its guests between 2010 and 2024.

The exhibition was a clear example of how the Santo Ángel Cultural Center has embodied the characteristics that distinguish it as a cultural space of excellence. The exhibition showcased the work of Matilde López Sánchez through the photographs of Jerome van Passel.