Dirk Braeckman

GRIMM is delighted to present Although, a solo exhibition by the distinguished artist Dirk Braeckman, held at the London gallery from April 23 through May 30, 2026.

 This exhibition marks Braeckman’s inaugural solo presentation in the United Kingdom and features a curated selection of recent works that illustrate the overarching themes of his four-decade career.

 Rooted deeply in the tactile processes of analogue photography, Braeckman’s practice eschews traditional conventions in favor of experiential techniques that transform the darkroom into a site of alchemical discovery and spectral imagery.

 His work serves as a record of both the physical imprints of time and the mechanical means of photographic production.

The exhibition title, Although, reflects the persistent tension within Braeckman’s images between what is revealed and what remains hidden.

 Driven by a fascination with the history of the medium, the artist uses this collection to critique how images are consumed in the modern world, emphasizing their material imperfections rather than their representative accuracy. 

Dirk BraeckmanN.D.-N.E. #42-25, 2025Ultrachrome inkjet print mounted on aluminum support in stainless steel frame
Edition 3 plus 1 artist's proof
180 x 144 cm

Drawing from an expansive archive of negatives, Braeckman creates compositions that feature architectural motifs and enigmatic figures stripped of their original contexts.

 For example, in the work L.J.-L.S.-22, the artist subverts the standard portrait format by capturing the back of a sitter’s head, thereby replacing a direct connection with the viewer with a sense of ambiguous, vernacular mystery.

Braeckman’s fascination with vernacular photography—images created for documentary or practical purposes outside the art world—deeply informs his aesthetic. 

His works often mirror the quiet, anonymous interiors and legal or scientific imagery found in private snapshots and public records. 

This interest is further explored in ECHTZEIT#117-24, a piece originally developed for his 2024 museum show at FOMU, Antwerp. 

In this work, Braeckman re-photographs and manipulates images from the museum’s collection, adding paint, dust, and physical smears to the negatives.

 By highlighting scratches and creases rather than concealing them, he asserts that the photograph is a physical object carrying the visible scars of its own creation.

The intersection of process and form is a constant in Braeckman’s oeuvre, as seen in Dear deer , As soon as, where a figure is obscured by a distressed surface and the harsh glare of a camera flash. 

This counterintuitive approach creates a mysterious "otherness" that recalls Roland Barthes’ concept of the punctum—the unexpected detail that pierces the viewer emotionally. 

Braeckman’s photographs do not offer fixed narratives; instead, they operate through what Umberto Eco described as an "openness" that invites continuous questioning. 

Suspended in a haunting, ashen stillness, these images challenge the viewer to look at photography not as a transparent window into reality, but as a material form shaped by memory and interpretation. 

Beyond his gallery work, Braeckman has also recently completed Elongation, a massive 180-meter-long site-specific commission for Brussels Zaventem Airport, which is set to be unveiled shortly.

Dirk Braeckman T.S.-O.S.-18 #1, 2018, 2024 Gelatin silver print reversibly mounted on aluminium support and frame. Unique in a series of 3 180 x 120 cm