Max Pinckers

Max Pinckers is a Belgian visual artist and guest lecturer at the School of Arts/KASK in Ghent. His work challenges documentary photography conventions through theatricality, collaboration, and staged aesthetics. He holds a Doctorate in Arts from KASK & Conservatory and has exhibited globally, including solo shows at Palazzo Madama (2024) and FOMU Antwerp (2021/22). His research focuses on the ethics of representation, colonial history (e.g., Mau Mau Uprising), and the intersection of fact/fiction in photography.

Education

• PhD Doctorate in Visual Arts, KASK & Conservatory (2015–2021)
• MFA in Visual Arts, KASK & Conservatory (2010–2012)
• BA in Visual Arts, KASK & Conservatory (2008–2010)

Research Interests

Pinckers interrogates documentary’s role in shaping historical narratives, particularly through projects like State of Emergency, which collaborates with Mau Mau veterans to counter colonial archives. His work merges photography, text, and performance to question visual tropes and truth claims.

Awards & Recognition

• Edward Steichen Award (2015)
• Leica Oskar Barnack Award (2018)
• Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe (2017)

Key Projects

Founder of Lyre Press (2015) and School of Speculative Documentary (2017), he advocates for decentralized, polycentric documentary practices. His installations and books, such as Margins of Excess (2018) and State of Emergency (2024), critique conventional media aesthetics.