Erwin Olaf at the Stedelijk

From October 11, 2025 until April 6, 2026, the Stedelijk Museum presents Erwin Olaf – Freedom, the first museum retrospective since the unexpected death of the artist in 2023. The exhibition charts a course through Erwin Olaf’s rich body of work, starting with his journalistic, candid black-and-white reportages from the early 1980s. Focusing on subjects such as gay rights demonstrations, these highlight his commitment to social issues. Olaf’s love of light and composition is evident; his pursuit of greater control over the composition prompted him to take the next step—staged studio photography. The exhibition features iconic and lesser-known examples from series such as Ladies Hats (1985-2022), Chessmen (1987-88), Royal Blood (2000), Grief (2007), Fashion Victims (2000), Berlin (2012), and Skin Deep (2015), as well as commissioned work such as SM in Holland (1989) and photography for the Dutch National Ballet.

17 October 2024