a retrospective exhibition at Paleis Soestdijk
16 April – 21 June 2026
In this exhibition, Flore Zoé brings together thirty years of artistic practice, centred on recurring themes such as power, equality and human relationships. The exhibition marks a significant moment within her oeuvre, in which works from different periods converge, shaped by ongoing questions and insights. Her body of work is entirely dedicated to photography.
As a child, Flore Zoé was not consciously engaged with art, but she was with observing. Observing people, relationships, and what unfolds between individuals. This way of seeing soon developed into creating: what she observed, she translated into her own images and narratives. This approach continues to form the foundation of her work. While the impulse to create began at a young age, it gained direction during her studies at the Fotoacademie Amsterdam, where photography evolved into a means of posing questions and constructing situations.
In her artistic development, she was influenced by the work of artists such as Richard Serra, René Magritte and Guy Bourdin. From Serra, she drew inspiration from the physical experience, materiality and spatial presence of the work. From Magritte, the shifting of reality. From Bourdin, a visual language that is at once seductive and unsettling. Traces of these influences can be felt throughout her work.
Her images are carefully staged and directed, exploring human relationships in their complexity. Over the years, her work has engaged with themes such as identity, sexuality, nature, sustainability and social inequality. At its core lies a recurring question: what connects people.
The exhibition is deliberately not organised chronologically. Themes reappear and deepen, forming a cohesive whole within the oeuvre.
At its centre is the new series We Who See Each Other, which forms both the conceptual core and the overarching framework of the exhibition. Within this series, the tension between (in)equality is central: the understanding that equality cannot exist without recognising inequality as a reality.
For this series, Flore Zoé selected a number of historic rooms within Paleis Soestdijk. These spaces function as a stage, where image, space and history enter into dialogue with one another.
Face-to-Face talks
In a series of intimate conversations, Flore Zoé engages in dialogue with distinguished guests from a range of disciplines. These encounters reflect on themes such as power, responsibility, humanity, and the ability to truly see one another beyond role or position.
These are not panels or promotional talks, but genuine conversations in the presence of an audience. They explore equality and power within each field and within society at large. About being seen, and truly seeing the other. The programme is intended as a deeper layer to the exhibition.
Antoine Bodar — 17 April, 15:00
Priest, writer and art historian. On spirituality, beauty, and the role of art in the search for meaning.
→ Reserve tickets
Maarten de Rijke – 3 May, 15:00
Distinguished University Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Information Retrieval at the University of Amsterdam, and Scientific Director of the Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence (ICAI). On technology, knowledge, and the relationship between humans and intelligent systems.
→ Reserve tickets
Maya Meijer-Bergmans – 17 May, 15:00
Co-owner of MeyerBergman Erfgoed Groep and art historian. On responsibility for heritage, societal relevance, and reimagining the role of historic places in the present day.
https://tickets.paleissoestdijk.nl/nl/symmetry-maya-meijer-bergmans/tickets](https://tickets.paleissoestdijk.nl/nl/symmetry-maya-meijer-bergmans/tickets
Lakshmi – 23 May, 15:00
Singer, songwriter and performer. On the power of the voice, vulnerability, and telling personal stories through music and art.
→ Reserve tickets
Oscar Hammerstein – 7 June, 15:00
Lawyer and criminal defence advocate. On justice, responsibility, and the role of the individual within broader societal structures.
→ Reserve tickets
Geert Kazemier – 14 June, 15:00
Surgical oncologist and initiator of the research centre Adore, where cancer and brain research converge. On science, care, and the human dimension of medicine.
→ Reserve tickets
COLOFON
Inhoud & concept – Flore Zoé
Samenstelling, productie & programma – Margitte Verwoerdt en Cathelijn Otto Communicatie, social media & pers – De Contentmaker, Sharita Satink-Birtantie Grafisch ontwerp – Studio Mooi Rood, Thomas van der Schoor
Samenwerkingspartners- Familie Meijer-Bergmans, Paleis Soestdijk, Wilcovak Fine Art Lab, Martin van Zwol, Tess van Zalinge, Bonne Suits, Hidde Froentjes, Stichting Gelijkwaardig Herstel, Laurentien van Oranje, Daisy van Belzen, The Specials Models, Ilona Barriël, Simone van Ommen, Nadya Ishana, Arnaud Roelofsz, Pauline Blind, De Resolutie, Van As Drukkerij, Robert van ‘t Veer, Stijger Interieur Projecten, Taxidermie de Museumwinkel, Domaine Alsace, Art is Wine, Classicus, Kwast Wijnkopers, Laurent-Perrier.
Bruikleengevers- Familie Kramer- Smits van Waesberghe, De heer J.C. Consolini, Familie Prins-Froentjes, Familie ter Horst, Mevrouw M. van den Berg.
De inhoud van tentoonstelling SYM-ME-TRY is mogelijk gemaakt dankzij de betrokkenheid van alle modellen die in 30 jaar tijd voor de lens van Flore Zoé hebben gestaan en Iris van Herpen, Marcel Wanders, Graziella Ferraro, Linda Loef, Antwerp World Diamond Center, Diva museum, Michelangelo Winklaar, Industriemuseum Gent, AP-arts, Caesar Fitness & Spa Resort, Charlotte Jansen, Bethelkerk, AmFi, Dutch Lily Masters, Vanhaerents Art Collection en vele anderen.
