Laura de Mildt 

On Strength and Character – Dutch women in top sport 

14.05.2022 t/m 25.06.2022 

During the covid pandemic Laura de Mildt made a photo book about sportswomen: ‘OP  KRACHT EN KARAKTER – Nederlandse vrouwen in de topsport’ (On Strength and Character – Dutch women in top sport, Lecturis, 2021). Right after publication, the book received a lot of  interest and rave reviews in, among others, the NRC, FD Personal, Vrouw (Telegraaf), Friesch  Dagblad and other daily and weekly newspapers. At Pennings Foundation, the images from  the book are presented in an exhibition for the first time. 

After previously collaborating with former top athletes Anouk Hoogendijk (football) and  Fatima Moreira de Melo (hockey), Laura came up with the idea of portraying sportswomen  in a different way. At the beginning of December 2021, the photo book ‘OP KRACHT EN  KARAKTER’ was published with more than 100 portraits of our Dutch women in top sport:  the upcoming talent, the current champions and the heroines from the past. 

“The unbridled ambition, passion and the often inimitable way in which they achieve their  goals made me curious and inspired me to follow these women and bundle them in a book.  Who is the woman behind the sport? 

With more than 100 women from 45 sports disciplines, I wanted to make a representation of  the Dutch top sportswoman, by making no distinction in age, performance, physical  limitations or background. They are all women who clearly stand for who they are and what  they do. 

Women who know that everything is a competition, that the stage is a merciless seducer  until there is someone else. Women who give and have given everything for the sport. For  that first place, for the win. And who are women above all else. 

This is an ode to the sportswoman”, according to Laura de Mildt. 

Laura de Mildt (1983) lives in Den Haag and has been a photographer for over 6 years now.  She studied for 3 years at the Fotoacademie in Amsterdam and has since focused on making  portraits. www.laurademildt.com 

Opening: Saturday May 14 16:00 – 18:00. 

Free entrance, please register via website. 

The exhibition is on show from May 14 to June 25, 2022 at Pennings Foundation,  Geldropseweg 63, Eindhoven. Open Wednesday to Saturday from 12:00 to 17:00.  

Pennings Foundation 

Pennings Foundation is a presentation and knowledge platform for photography and lens-based art.  The history goes back to 1979. In that year Harry Pennings started a gallery for photography on the 

Geldropseweg in Eindhoven, specialized in autonomous photography. Work by both established and  emerging artists was shown. In 2006 Petra Cardinaal took over the management of the gallery. In  2018, the move to the current location took place and the activities were expanded. Gallery Pennings  became Pennings Foundation. Photography is still central, in every conceivable form or genre. In  addition to exhibitions, lectures, workshops and meetings take place. An educational program is  offered and a special library of photo books (approx. 6,000) is available for research and inspiration. 

Pennings Foundation is located in the center of Eindhoven, a five-minute walk from the Van  Abbemuseum. www.penningsfoundation.com