Erwin Olaf
Exhibition — October 11, 2025 until end of February 2026
The Stedelijk is organising an exhibition of the work of Erwin Olaf, which opens in autumn 2025. The museum’s announcement coincides with the release of the publication Erwin Olaf Springveld. Hard werken, hard feesten, which will be presented at the Stedelijk on 21 October. Organised in collaboration with Studio Erwin Olaf, it will be the first exhibition in the Netherlands of Erwin Olaf’s work since his sudden death last year.
UNKNOWN WORK
As well as iconic series from Olaf’s oeuvre, the retrospective will also present never-before-seen works by the multimedia artist, both older and recent. These include the extraordinary Self-Portrait with Lungs (2023), which has yet to be shown in a museum, and work made during his illness. The exhibition will also show the edgy, underground nature of the work of Erwin Olaf, who was also known for exploring subversive and activist themes.
EQUAL RIGHTS ADVOCATE
Although he had been suffering from pulmonary emphysema for some time, Erwin Olaf died unexpectedly last year at the age of 64, after a lung transplant. He was one of the Netherlands’ most influential photographers, known for his bold style and staged photographs. His work explored the human body and themes such as sexuality and impermanence; later, man’s vulnerability and loneliness increasingly came to the fore. Olaf was a tireless fighter for equal rights for all, be it an elderly woman, a little person, queer people, people of colour, people with Down syndrome or the average person. This aspect of his work will also be highlighted in the exhibition.
