Kunsthal Rotterdam

Over a period of two years, Kiliç was allowed to attend all of the mayor’s activities from early in the morning until late at night: on the streets, in the council hall, and during many meetings and events — both in front of and behind the scenes. Apart from public events and festive moments, like the starting shot of the Rotterdam Marathon or the arrival of Sinterklaas, the photographer also captured meetings behind closed doors about complex and sensitive issues. These included consultations with the so-called safety triangle (consisting of the mayor, the chief of police, and the chief public prosecutor) about anti-terrorism measures,  discussions at the Dutch Marine Corps’ Van Ghent Barracks, and meetings in various neighbourhoods on the subject of preventive body-searches. Kiliç portrays the mayor as an authority figure, but at the same time reveals the humanity of the man behind the office, also zooming in on the personal impact Aboutaleb has made on the community.

Listening ear

The photographs show Aboutaleb’s encounters with ordinary people as well as with people ‘in power’, highlighting just how many issues and people the mayor has to deal with whenever he enters the public domain. The mayor is portrayed in his official attire, complete with chain of office, while tirelessly reminding the council and city residents of their responsibilities. Or he is, almost unrecognizably, pictured while wearing a woollen winter hat and windbreaker as he accompanies a neighbourhood police officer. Wherever Aboutaleb appears, he never fails to attract a crowd. With his camera, Kiliç was able to get very close to Aboutaleb while shaking hands, lending a listening ear, or offering advice. The photographer captured how easily Aboutaleb handles all this attention and noticed that he also enjoys returning it. Kiliç added lively personal comments to the images in the exhibition to make the audience feel involved in the — occasionally contradictory — emotions and thoughts he experienced while shooting the images in the various worlds he found himself in as part of Aboutaleb’s entourage.

Salih Kiliç

Born in The Hague with Turkish-Kurdish and Limburg roots, Salih Kiliç (1986) grew up with a mixed identity. This background taught him to constantly adapt himself to his surroundings in order to feel welcome and at home wherever he goes. Consequently, his work as a documentary photographer zooms in on the great diversity of stories our society has to offer, sometimes hidden in surroundings and communities not everyone would be able to uncover or access that easily. In each individual micro-society he encounters, Kiliç acquaints himself with the rules and rituals that apply there. By observing and recording these, he tries to generate acceptance for his presence, hoping to achieve the perspective of an insider, as opposed to the outsider perspective photographers usually have. With his photographic documentary series about Ahmed Aboutaleb, the first Dutch mayor of Moroccan descent, Kiliç wants to stress the importance of transparency in a democracy — a transparency that is sometimes compromised by security regulations, spokespeople, or the current political climate.