Provocative and playful, Blommers & Schumm's photographs sit at the intersection of fine art and photography

fashion photography — Left, Josefina wearing Bless, styling Georgia Pendlebury for Exhibition Magazine, 2018 and right, L’escar go Gourmand magazine, 2012 (no animals were harmed in this shoot) (Image credit: © Blommers & Schumm)

When Dutch photography duo Anuschka Blommers and Niels Schumm met in the early nineties, it signalled the start of a creative partnership defined by provocation and playfulness. Known as Blommers & Schumm, work is at the intersection of fashion and fine art, with a dollop of added humour.

The duo’s editorials for publications include Fantastic Man, The Gentlewoman, Dazed & Confused, Self Service, Purple, AnOther Magazine, and The New York Times Magazine, encompassing an avant-garde informality throughout. Work is defined by an uncanny edge – the details are polished, yet something is a little off.

Falling glass, 1997 by Blommers &amp; Schumm — Falling glass, 1997

Jana for Agenda Magazine, styling by Danielle van Camp, 2024 by Blommers &amp; Schumm — Jana for Agenda Magazine, styling by Danielle van Camp, 2024

It is a career Blommers & Schumm are reflecting on as their first major solo exhibition, opens at Foam in Amsterdam, which unites 25 years of work. ‘Through the years we’ve done so many different shoots,’ they say. ‘Now, we are combining the old with the new and somehow, they work together in a way that means the time difference doesn’t matter anymore. We’ve shot photos through the years in similar locations, and it contributes to a kind of timeless vibe.’

David wearing Bottega Veneta for Middle plane magazine, David Hockney special, 2022 by Blommers and Schumm — David wearing Bottega Veneta for Middle plane magazine, David Hockney special, 2022

Nothing is quite as it seems in images which invite a second look. Today, they seem computer generated in their offbeat composition, but there is nothing unnatural in the intricately staged illusions we see here. A glass, teetering on the edge of disaster, a model holding a seemingly impossible pose and a face made from household items, all stay faithful to an enigmatic perversion of the status quo.

‘We’ve enjoyed tripping down memory lane for this exhibition,’ they add. ‘ It’s so nice to relive all the collaborations and travels. Despite the diversity of our work, we have loved seeing the connection between them all coming through here.’

Blommers & Schumm – Mid-Air at Foam Amsterdam until 23 February 2026

foam.org

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Hannah Silver is a writer and editor with over 20 years of experience in journalism, spanning national newspapers and independent magazines. Currently Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*, she has overseen offbeat art trends and conducted in-depth profiles for print and digital, as well as writing and commissioning extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury since joining in 2019.