The Promised Land at Doka - Saturday, Mar 29 2025 | Discotech

The promised land is an homage to nightlife as Rein van Leeuwen’s holy ground. It showcases club culture as a utopia; a place where you can experience a collective state of higher consciousness, where one can escape the standards and boundaries everyday life presents. Nightlife is an elusive phenomenon that transcends the real world. It is a realm where time and space are distorted; a heaven filled with joy and bliss for the lucky few.

Rein van Leeuwen has been making analogue photographs for about fifteen years now, capturing his queer family and all the superstars he met in Amsterdam nightlife and around the world. Taking photos of others has always been a way to reflect on who he is and who he aspires to be. From a young age, it was a way to get close-up to people with the safety of being behind the lens. It gave him the opportunity to navigate his own identity and expression. These series are a love letter to all the people who helped Rein grow into the person he was always supposed to be.