Strange Beauty

Kunsthalle Munich dedicates a major showcase to the work of Dutch artist Erwin Olaf, ending on September 26, 2021.

Erwin Olaf (b. 1959) ranks among the most renowned contemporary artists in the Netherlands. His photographs depict meticulously staged realities, whose artificial nature imbues them with a mystery of their own.
At first glance, Olaf’s images adhere to the sleek aesthetics of the film and advertising industries. Beneath their flawless surface, however, they raise challenging questions about democracy, equality and self-determination. The artist consciously applies clichés and stereotypes to illustrate the power of images in our modern-day society.

Comprising 220 works, ‘Strange Beauty’ marks the artist’s first comprehensive solo show in Germany. The presentation (which was organised in collaboration with the Edwynn Houk Gallery) encompasses selected photographs, videos, sculptures and multi-media installations spanning almost four decades of Olaf’s career – and retraces his evolution from a rebellious photojournalist of the 1980s to an accomplished storyteller of the 2000s.

For further information visit Kunsthalle München