Ronald Tilleman
Netherlands
ARTIST BIO
Ronald Tilleman, 1962, IJsselstein, The Netherlands
“As a child I loved drawing, later my drawings were inspired by Escher, Star Trek and Jacques Cousteau. With earnings from my paper round I bought my first dslr camera when I was 15 years old.
At 17 I joined the local camera club and won an award for the best photo of the year, handprinted in my own darkroom. That really inspired me to continue with photography.
Being educated as a teacher, specialized in History, Art History and Drawing, I worked at primary and secondary schools for 15 years.
After winning several awards as amateur photographer I decided to start as a professional photographer in 1997, working full time as an artist and commercial photographer ever since.
I was selected to be the main photographer for all the photography (mostly documentary) of the construction of the Betuweroute (rail freight line between the Port of Rotterdam and Germany) a project of over 10 years.
Founding partner of Daph (Dutch Architectural Photographers) and member from 2005 - 2012
I have received awards for both my work as an artist as well as a commercial photographer. Recent awards : 2025 Winner Selection of Dutch Photography '25 Awards by Dupho, (Dutch photographers) with the the serie “Vacancy”2025 Gold winner B&W IPA 2025 with the serie “Fantaseas 2”2025 Silver award and an honorable mention at the1839 Awards
I teach photography in workshops and masterclasses for both photography and architecture students. Over the years I’ve been a jury member for several photography and architecture contests.
As a human being and photographer, I am interested in the relationship between humans and their environment. How people relate to their environment: nature, cities, their home, workspace, holiday destinations.” – Ronald Tilleman
PROJECT STATEMENT
VACANCY
Vacancy (noun)
*a space or place that is available to be used
*place, location, site, town, space, vacancy
*idleness, vacuity, inactivity, vacancy
*an empty area or space
*being unoccupied
“As a person and a photographer, I am fascinated by the complex relationship between humans and their (built) environment. How we relate to nature, cities, our homes, workplaces, but also holiday resorts and tourist destinations. How we influence these environments—and how they, in turn, influence us.
VACANCY is an ongoing, multi-year project in which I capture the emptiness and silence of hotels, resorts, and tourist spots during the holiday season.
Moments and places where the human presence is temporarily absent, yet its traces remain subtly visible. Places we escape to, but which also reveal something about our way of life.
These are images of in-between time: just before or after the rush, when silence and emptiness take over. Photographed during twilight, these scenes feel suspended—like stills from a paused film. Anticipating the next scene. There is a sense of stillness, a transitional phase, waiting for the next scene or movement. I therefore only photograph during dawn or dusk—moments of transition themselves.
Not only is a holiday in itself a moment of in between in your life, but I see this series also as a metaphor for the transitional periods in our lives, where one phase ends but the next has yet to begin.
The title refers both to the familiar "No/Vacancy" signs at motels and to the Dutch word vakantie (holiday/vacation).” – Ronald Tilleman
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that the Exposure Photography Festival is situated on land adjacent to where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. The traditional Blackfoot name of this place is “Moh’kins’tsis”, which we now call the City of Calgary. This is the traditional Treaty 7 territory of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina nations. It is home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3 within the historical Northwest Métis homeland. We honour and acknowledge all Nations, who live, work and play in Moh’kins’tsis, help steward this land, and honour and celebrate this territory.