Elian Somers lives and works in Rotterdam, NL.
With a background in visual arts and architecture, Elian Somers investigates the urban and utopian landscape, in particular the interplay between architecture and urbanism, ideologies and (geo)politics. In recent years she has been working on projects as A Mountain Afar (2023-), A Stone from the Moon (2015-2022), One and Another State of Yellow (2013-2017), Border Theories (2009-2013), California City (2010-2012) and Droom als er ooit een was (2006-2008). In these long-term, research-based projects she is in search of constructed realities and truths, hidden and virtual histories, and the utopian experiment. Multiple realities, histories and truths intermingle in her works.
The works are presented as spatial film or photography installations and can be perceived as critical tools for understanding and figuring out the present and the future. Through the combination of film/photography, cartography and archival materials - from documented and accepted knowledge sources to their undocumented and controversial counterparts - alternative and unexpected perspectives on reality, truth and history are brought to light and generated.
The works have been shown at various art venues, a.o. Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (SMBA), Amsterdam; Pennings Foundation, Eindhoven; Foam, Amsterdam; TENT, Rotterdam; Kunsthalle Wilhelmshaven, Wilhelmshaven (DE) and MK Galerie, Berlin (DE). The works have also been regularly published as artist books, and in art, photography and architecture magazines. The book One and Another State of Yellow (Fw: Books) was published in 2017, and the book Border Theories (Fw: Books) in 2013. The work Ecumenopolis (A Stone from the Moon) was selected for the International Film Festival Rotterdam, 2024.










Constructions of History
Lecture Constructions of History at Art and Architecture Festival Cherish and Destroy, West Den Haag, Den Haag, with contributions by Eric Bolle, Tomas Dirrix, Gijs Frieling, Erik Hehenkamp, Jelle Hettema, Maarten van Kesteren, Moriko Kira, John Körmeling, Susanna Lindberg, Michiel van Loon, Lidy Meijers, Phoebus Panigyrakis, Jan van der Ploeg, Chris Smith, Elian Somers, Marcel Teunissen, Jacob Voorthuis, Chris de Vries, Anne Wellmer, Wouter Willers
Ecumenopolis
Installation Ecumenopolis, International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), 2024
The Streets Are our Brushes, the Squares our Palettes
Discussion event / salon at the exhibition The Streets are Our Brushes, the Squares our Palettes by Ine Lamers and Elian Somers. With contributions by the artists Marjolijn Boterenbrood, Ine Lamers and Elian Somers, and curator, researcher and writer Masha Domracheva
The Streets Are our Brushes, the Squares our Palettes
Duo exhibition The Streets Are our Brushes, the Squares our Palettes, by Ine Lamers and Elian Somers at Pennings Foundation, Eindhoven (NL)
Lucy Art Residency Talks Program
Discussion event and presentation at Lucy Art Residency Talks Program in Kavala (GR). With contributions by Assaf Hinden, Milo Keller, Marten Lange, Stephanie Moshammer, Elian Somers and Grzegorz Stefanski
The Other Landscape
Lecture The Other Landscape at Stichting ZAP (Zwols Architectuur Podium), Zwolle (NL)
World of Noon #3 - On Urbanism and the Cultural Cold War
Lecture performance and organisation (together with Air Berlin Alexanderplatz, ABA) of the program World of Noon #3 - On Urbanism and the Cultural Cold War, at the Berlinische Galerie, Berlin. With contributions by the artist and filmmaker Lene Berg, ZK/U (Center for Art and Urbanistics) - Olesia Vitiuk, Elian Somers and Carola Hein, professor and head of the History of Architecture and Urban Planning Chair at Delft University of Technology
One and Another State of Yellow
Presentation of the new book One and Another State of Yellow at Unseen Book Market, Amsterdam. Published by Fw:Books / Design by Hans Gremmen / Texts by Elian Somers, Francien van Westrenen / Edition of 300 / 24×33,5 cm
The Guide, the Author and the Scientist
Discussion event / salon The Guide, the Author and the Scientist, Disclosed #8, Het Wilde Weten, Rotterdam. With multi media installation by Ine Lamers, lecture performance Was it a Meteorite? by Elian Somers and lecture by guest speaker Raymond van den Boogaard
(In)constancy of Space
Exhibition (In)constancy of Space, with works by Anke Van den Berg, Robbie Cornelissen, Tanja Deman, Darko Fritz, Antonio Grgić, Igor Grubić, Zachary Formwalt, Željko Kipke, Zlatko Kopljar, Margareta Lekić, Ferenc Molnar, Zoltan Novak, Neli Ružić, Sara Rajaei, Sandro Setola, Rik Smits, Elian Somers, Marjan Teeuwen, Rob Voerman, Danijel Žeželj, and curated by Neva Lukić and Vanja Babić
Rotterdam and the River
Discussion event Rotterdam and the River, TENT, Rotterdam. With contributions by a.o. John Körmerling, Elian Somers, Reyn van der Lugt, Christine de Baan, Riek Bakker and De Urbanisten
Utopian Dreams
Exhibition Utopian Dreams at TENT, Rotterdam, with works by Wim Gijzen, John Körmeling, Claes Oldenburg, Rem Koolhaas-OMA, Utopia, Atelier Van Lieshout; Elfie Tromp, Elian Somers, Richard Hutten, Han Hoogerbrugge, Cookies. The exhibition is curated by Reyn van der Lugt in collaboration with Mariette Dölle and Marjolein van de Ven
One and Another State of Yellow - From the Monument
Presentation of the work One and Another State of Yellow - From the Monument at Open! Platform for Art, Culture and the Public Domain, as part of the project Culture of Control, a collaborative project of Open! and Stroom, Den Haag
Air Berlin Alexanderplatz
Working period at Air Berlin Alexanderplatz (ABA), Berlin. ABA is a residency program based in the centre of Berlin. ABA hosts international artists, designers, curators, architects and critical writers. Residents work on specific projects related to the city of Berlin with a focus on research-based practice
Border Theories
Presentation of the new book Border Theories at Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam.
Published by Fw:Books / Design by Hans Gremmen / Texts by Elian Somers, Kerstin Winking and Hester van Gent / Edition of 500 / 24x34 cm
Border Theories
Solo exhibition Border Theories at Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam
Between de Map and the Territory
Exhibition Between de Map and the Territory, with works by Bik van der Pol, Karin Hueber, Maaike Gouwenberg and Joris Lindhout, Anna Okrasko, Elian Somers, Emily Whitebraed, curated by Mariette Dölle
Learning from... Rotterdam
Exhibition Learning from... Rotterdam, with works by Elian Somers, Kim Bouvy, Oliver Godow and Jost Wischnewski, curated by Viola Weigel