Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam Presents Blommers & Schumm's 'Mid-Air' Exhibition
Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam is currently showcasing "Mid-Air," a new exhibition by acclaimed artist duo Anuschka Blommers and Niels Schumm. Running from September 20, 2025, to February 23, 2026, this exhibition invites visitors into an intimate exploration of their artistic process, blurring the lines between art, fashion, and portraiture.
A Unique Insight into the Creative Process at Foam
The "Mid-Air" exhibition is designed to emulate a studio visit, offering a behind-the-scenes look at where Blommers & Schumm’s distinctive visual language originates. Upon entering, visitors immediately encounter a large curtain displaying an image of the duo's own Amsterdam studio's back wall. This visual installation draws the audience directly into the artists' creative space, symbolizing where ideas are debated, experimented with, and shaped before a single photograph is taken.
Exploring Themes of Perception and Reality
"Mid-Air" features a compelling collection of portraits, including those of family members, close friends, and well-known figures such as film director Steve McQueen and actress Tilda Swinton. A particularly poignant series highlights a recurring subject, Ruby, whose portraits, taken years apart in the same domestic setting, prompt contemplation on the nature of familiarity and true understanding.
Blommers & Schumm ingeniously use their studio as a space to "sculpt time," creating images where objects appear suspended, yet are often physically, though invisibly, anchored. This technique challenges viewers to reconsider perception and the reality captured within a fixed photographic frame. The exhibition delves into how the mind interprets images, exemplified by a striking composition of everyday studio objects arranged to form a face. This piece demonstrates how the camera's perspective can flatten depth, convincing the brain to recognize a human form from disparate items like lights, a vacuum cleaner, and camera equipment. It transforms the viewing experience into a metaphorical darkroom where images ultimately take shape in the observer's mind.
About the Artists
Anuschka Blommers and Niels Schumm, who began their collaboration in 1997 after graduating from Amsterdam’s Gerrit Rietveld Academy, are renowned for their work with major fashion houses such as Versace, Gucci, Chanel, and Hermès. Their photographs have also appeared in influential magazines like Fantastic Man and The Gentlewoman. Foam's permanent collection includes eight of their works, and their new book, More (Roma Publications), is being released concurrently with the "Mid-Air" exhibition.
Visit 'Mid-Air' at Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam
"Mid-Air" by Blommers & Schumm is open for public viewing at Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam until February 23, 2026. For further details on the exhibition, visitors can explore the Foam website.
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