Biography
Belgian, b. 1974
Nick is a documentary photographer based in Ranst, Belgium. His photography reflects on major contemporary themes such as migration, globalisation, urbanisation and conflict.
After obtaining a master's degree in photography at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (KASK) in Ghent in 1997, Hannes worked as a photojournalist for eight years when he decided to fully concentrate on self-initiated documentary projects. Since 2008, he has taught documentary photography at KASK/The School of Arts in Ghent, Belgium.
Nick has published five photo books over the past 15 years. Red Journey (Lannoo, 2009) looks at the transitional phase of post-Soviet societies; Mediterranean. The Continuity of Man (Hannibal, 2014) focuses on the fault lines, contrasts and crises in the Mediterranean region; Garden of Delight (Hannibal / André Frère Editions, 2018) is a surreal journey around Dubai, the ultimate playground of globalisation and capitalism. An Unexpected Lesson in Joy (self-published, 2020) is a visual diary of the photographer's family life during the COVID lockdown; New Capital (Lannoo, 2024) is a critical reflection on neoliberal urban development in 6 purpose-built capitals around the world.
Garden of Delight was awarded the Magnum Photography Award in 2017 and the Zeiss Photography Award in 2018. In 2023 Nick received a World Press Photo Award for his work about the new capital of Egypt.
Nick has been published in major magazines such as El Pais Semanal, Géo, National Geographic, Paris-Match, Stern, Vanity Fair, Mare, de Volkskrant, De Standaard and Newsweek Japan. He has exhibited at FotoMuseum (Antwerp, Belgium), Fotofestiwal (Łódź, Poland), Organ Vida (Zagreb, Croatia), Photolux (Lucca, Italy) Encontros Da Imagem (Braga, Portugal), Städtische Galerie (Iserlohn, Germany), ImageSingulières (Sète, France), Centro Andaluz de la Fotografia (Almeria, Spain), Triennial of Photography (Hamburg, Germany), Photomed (Beirut, Lebanon), Lianzhou Foto Festival (Lianzhou, China), Cortona on the Move (Cortona,Italy) and Be-Part Waregem (Wagerem, Belgium) among many others.
Nick’s books can be purchased on his webshop.
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Featured Story
Nick Hannes explores new and planned capital cities in Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia and Kazakhstan.
On a rainy Sunday evening the area around the Convention Centre in Sejong, where my guesthouse is located, is deserted.
With a population of 200 million, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa.
Jakarta is sinking, struggling to keep the sea from invading the streets and neighbourhoods.
700 square kilometres of desert east of Cairo have been transformed into a huge construction site.
‘Astana is no more, long live Nur-Sultan’ An artificial city in the steppe, to the glory of the eponymous president, where futuristic bling clashes with sleepy Soviet decay.
Corona Virus Diary by Nick Hannes A strange calm has descended upon the land.
"The Pacific may have the most changeless, ageless aspect of any ocean but the Mediterranean Sea celebrates the continuity of man.
Nick Hannes travelled the length and breadth of the former Soviet Union – all fifteen former republics – to document the reality of post-communist societies in the fragments of the once all-powerful empire.
"Dubai has developed into a vast theme park, where you can ski in the desert and swim with dolphins.