Steffi Reimers was born on November 8, 1995 and lives in Hoorn, the Netherlands. In 2021 she received her bachelor of arts in Photography at the University of Applied Photography in Amsterdam. In 2020 she finished an internship with documentary photographer Niels Stomps. She graduated with her project Aftermath, for which she spent two months in Srebrenica documenting the aftermath of the Yugoslav civil war. Her work is socially relevant, often exploring themes of transience, history, and hope. In 2022, she exhibited Aftermath at the Nederlands Fotomuseum in Rotterdam and published her debut photobook of the same title.
In 2023, Reimers began a new project in Italy titled Guilty Grounds. For this conceptual photo series, she traveled to Calabria, in southern Italy, to explore the darker side of Calabrian history, specifically the origins and kidnapping practices of the ‘Ndrangheta, the world’s most powerful criminal organization. Drawing on the concept of “Guilty Landscapes,” she conveyed the complexity of this tragic history by presenting the landscapes of the Aspromonte National Park as silent witnesses to the ‘Ndrangheta’s pervasive influence. Guilty Grounds became her first solo exhibition at FOAM Amsterdam and was published simultaneously as her second photobook. Following its debut in Amsterdam, the exhibition traveled to Nanjing, China.
In addition to her personal projects, Reimers has worked since 2022 as a medical-forensic photographer at the Netherlands Forensic Institute. There, she documents forensic investigations and collaborates with a specialized team to give a voice to victims of violence who can no longer speak for themselves.
Exhibitions
Solo exhibition
Beiqiu Museum of Contemporary Art | BMCA, Nanjing (China)
April 4, 2025 - July 6, 2025
Art route Lormes (FR)
August 16 - 18 , 2024
Solo exhibition FOAM, Amsterdam (NL)
December 1, 2023 - March 3, 2024
Kunstparade, Heiloo (NL)
June 24, 2022 - June 26, 2022
Night in/Day out Nederlands Fotomuseum Rotterdam (NL)
September 10, 2021 - November 10, 2021
AREA 2021, Amsterdam Loods 6 (NL)
September 4, 2021 - September 11, 2021
Books
Guilty Grounds (2023)
Project about the kidnappings of the ‘Ndrangheta between the 70’s - mid 90’s
Self published - edition of 150
Aftermath (2022)
Project about the aftermath of the Yugoslavian civil war
Self published - edition of 350
Awards & publications
Het parool, publication Guilty Grounds (2024)
De standaard, publication Guilty Grounds (2024)
El País, publication Guilty Grounds (2023)
Lensculture’s Favorite Photobooks 2023, (2023)
GUP / New Dutch Photography Talent (2022)
Checkpoint magazine (2022)
Area 2021 graduation catalogue (2021)
“My artistic journey is driven by curiosity and a desire to explore unfamiliar subjects. Recurring themes in my work include transience, history, and loss. I focus on narratives that often remain hidden from view.
I concentrate on long-term projects that allow me to explore subjects in depth and build emotional layers over time. I aim to reveal the emotions that exist just beneath the surface. Through my photography, I want to evoke curiosity and invite viewers to reflect on their own emotions and experiences. My hope is that each image encourages a deeper engagement with the story behind it, creating space for connection, memory, and understanding.”