Inside Tapsei, Fidelio Faustino's First Solo Exhibition

“I think it’s a huge blessing to portray my people through our own lens, and to do so in collaboration with them,” says Fidelio Faustino, a Paramaribo and Amsterdam-based photographer and director. For his first solo exhibition, he brings his body of work to an unconventional setting—a ferry that sails through Amsterdam.

 

Presented by Foam Amsterdam, sQuare, and the Ferry Festival, Tapsei is an analog work that weaves together themes of memory, spirituality, and imagination. Delving into feelings of nostalgia and belonging that are deeply rooted in the Afro-Caribbean experience, Faustino seeks to expand the representation of Black and Indigenous communities from a perspective grounded in lived experience.

 

Tapsei, meaning “upwards,” is a word from Sranantongo that carries layered significance. In the context of Suriname’s interior, it refers to a way of orienting oneself, navigating through landscape, memory, and community. “Black bodies in this region of the Amazon have mostly been depicted through a Western gaze, so creating something together feels like a big accomplishment, especially when it is shared with the world through public intervention,” he says.

 

 

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The exhibition remains on view until November 29, and can be seen on its travels in Amsterdam.
Follow Fidelio Faustino on Instagram and stay up-to-date with his work through his website.