In the Spotlight

In this showcase, the renowned Dutch photographer, film and music video director Anton Corbijn shares conceptual works captured predominantly in the 1990s – featuring protagonists such as the Eurythmics, Sinéad O’Connor and Depeche Mode. Many of the displayed images have never been published before.

The selection is a true testament to Corbijn’s penchant for experimental techniques: the displayed works were taken with a flashlight as his only source of light; in some cases, colour filters were added for a heightened visual alienation. 

The resulting portraits – distinguished by blurred contours and dramatic lighting effects – place these music legends in the spotlight, while also seemingly setting them in motion. Like a painter with a brush, the photographer uses the flashlight to gradually draw his subjects out of the surrounding darkness. The rhythm of the torch echoes the electronic beats and synth soundscapes associated with his protagonists – infusing the images with a visibly pulsating energy. 

This unusual approach gives rise to a dynamic, almost cinematic quality. The models become part of a temporal process; fractures, blurred lines and superimpositions are consciously used to express each artist’s essence and musical language, far beyond the flawless aesthetics of the pop industry. It is this openness towards his protagonists (some of whom he accompanied over decades) that defines the atmospheric power of Corbijn’s compositions. With his distinctive vision he not only captured, but helped shape the music and fashion world of a whole generation – and, in the process, became a highly influential artist in his own right.