MuseoMag: MuseoMag 2023_01

MuseoMag 2023_01

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Title:: MuseoMag

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Title:: MuseoMag 2023_01

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Title:: The narrative potential of images: A conservation with Erwin Olaf and Hans Op de Beeck

4 museomag 01 ‘ 2023 THE NARRATIVE POTENTIAL OF IMAGES (1/2) A CONVERSATION WITH ERWIN OLAF AND HANS OP DE BEECK Erwin Olaf, Im Wald, Unter dem Baum, 2020, Archival pigment print, 160 x 240 cm © Studio Erwin Olaf, Amsterdam For the first time ever, Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf and Belgian visual artist Hans Op de Beeck are presenting work together in an exciting new show at the National Museum of History and Art, staged to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Edward Steichen’s death. A muted colour palette of black, white and grey tones dominates the immersive exhibition entitled Erwin Olaf & Hans Op de Beeck, Inspired by Steichen, which foregrounds nature as a key theme and spans photography, watercolour and sculpture. Drawing on the modes and motifs of 19th century Romanticism, Olaf’s series of atmospheric black and white prints entitled Im Wald (2020) conveys the silent power of nature and the insignificance of human beings. The series was something of a departure for the photographer; instead of his usual studio setting, he captured his images outdoors in the Bavarian woods. The resulting large-scale photographs show figures in dialogue with the elements, often dwarfed by sweeping mountain ranges, ancient trees or waterfalls and rendered with painterly precision. With their focus on nocturnal landscapes, Op de Beeck’s monochromatic watercolours provide the perfect counterpoint to Olaf’s series. Painted at night and spanning several meters, these works frequently depict moonlit forests, dramatic seascapes and starry skies in the delicate medium of aquarelle. Two of Op de Beeck’s trademark grey sculptures complete the show; featuring figures framed by natural surroundings, the works arrest moments in time, presenting scenes over which dust seems to have settled, Pompeii-like in nature. Bound by a fascination for light, a keen interest in pictorial traditions and the narrative potential of images, Olaf and Op de Beeck both plunge viewers into carefully staged scenarios in their work, actively calling on them to reflect on and interpret what they see. We caught up with the two artists ahead of the show to speak about the ways in which their practices connect and converge, specifically in terms of their approach to storytelling and their meticulous crafting of images. I’d like to start off by talking about something rather obvious, which is that the show is completely monochromatic. Erwin, your black and white photographs from the series Im Wald

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