International Exhibition – We Are 17 – 21st Century
A Collective Portrait of a Generation
October 13–26, FABER
We Are 17 (21st Century) is a collaborative photography and visual education project taking place between 2024 and 2025 in Lithuania, Catalonia, and Romania. Over 200 teenagers worked alongside professional photographers to create a series of portraits that capture the universal experiences of being 17. The project contributes to a broader dialogue on identity, the sense of belonging, and the ways we choose to represent ourselves.
The project draws its inspiration from the iconic series Wij Zijn 17 (We Are 17), realized in 1955 by Dutch photographer and filmmaker Johan van der Keuken. Published when the author was only 17, the series – which later stood out as an influential piece of 20th-century European photography – brings together black-and-white portraits of his generation, captured in moments of reflection and intimacy. In a post-war Netherlands rebuilding itself, van der Keuken portrayed adolescence with empathy and humanity, avoiding the clichés of the time.
Wij Zijn 17 by Johan van der Keuken – For the First Time in Romania
Wij Zijn 17 is presented in Romania for the very first time, as part of the exhibition We Are 17 – 21st Century, taking place at FABER, Timișoara, October 13–26, 2025. The exhibition brings together 30 original works by van der Keuken and contemporary portraits made by teenagers from the three participating countries.
The traveling exhibition opened in the spring of 2025 at the Vytautas Kasiulis Museum of Art in Vilnius and will continue in 2026 at CCCB – Barcelona.
A Dialogue Across Generations and Times
We Are 17 – 21st Century offers a contemporary perspective on European adolescence, bringing the vision of today’s youth in dialogue with that of van der Keuken. Photographs, testimonials, and audio recordings invite the audience to discover how this essential stage of life is perceived and experienced in various cultural and historical contexts.
Alongside the portraits of teenagers, the exhibition also features a series of senior portraits made by the participants. These add a reflective dimension, connecting how the age of 17 was experienced in the 1950s–60s with how it is experienced today.
The opening will take place on October 13, at 6:00 PM, at Halele AZUR (FABER).
The exhibition will be open to visitors from October 13 to 26.
Educators are invited to sign up their classes for the educational sessions offered as part of the exhibition: https://forms.gle/vBRNGucf7oXNurpYA