EARLY GAZE - Unseen Photography from the 19th CenturyI DANIAL SHAH

As of October the 24th, FOMU will present 2 new exhibitions. EARLY GAZE is a large-scale exhibition about 19th-century photography in Belgium. The invention of photography not only brought technological innovation, it also changed how we view ourselves and the world. Discover never-seen-before photographs and valuable unique pieces that have been taken from the archives especially for this exhibition. ​
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​Danial Shah presents Becoming, Belonging and Vanishing, an exhibition about photo studios in Pakistan that emerges from his PhD in the arts at Sint Lucas Antwerp and the University of Antwerp.
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​During the press preview on Thursday, October 23 at 11 a.m., the curators will guide you through the new exhibitions.
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The invitation for the press preview will follow. Would you like to confirm your attendance? You can do so by contacting Isabelle Willems or Sarah Skoric.

EARLY GAZE - UNSEEN PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE 19th CENTURY

24.10.25 - 01.03.26

EARLY GAZE casts a fresh light on the rise and development of photography in 19th-century Belgium. The invention of photography did not only bring technological novelty, but also changed the way we see ourselves and the world. What began as a marvel of innovation quickly expanded into an instrument for control and image-building. 

The EARLY GAZE exhibition documents the birth of Belgian photography, from the very first mug shots to groundbreaking imagery in the arts, medical science and justice. It shows how an elite pastime grew out to become a powerful tool for capturing, controlling and constructing identity. ​ 

You will get a new perspective on the photographic pioneers who co-wrote the story of a young nation. You will discover forgotten portraits and unknown stories, and experience how the first photographic gaze still continues to influence our contemporary visual culture through phenomena such as agency, and consent. ​ 

EARLY GAZE illustrates that from the very start, photography was not a neutral registration of reality but a powerful instrument that helped shape the story of the ruling class. ​ 

PUBLICATION EARLY GAZE

The exhibition is accompanied by the book of the same name, Early Gaze, published by Hannibal Books. Hardcover, 304 pages, available for €55 in the FOMU shop and online.

PRESS IMAGES & INTERVIEWS
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​Below you will find a selection of low-resolution press images. High-resolution images and additional images are available on request. You may use a maximum of five press images free of copyright in articles about the exhibition. The images may not be cropped and the copyright must always be stated in full.

Curators Tamara Berghmans, Ingrid Leonard and assistant curator Sonia Mutaganzwa will be present at the press preview. They are available for interviews. Please contact Isabelle Willems and Sarah Skoric to request an interview.

This exhibition covers a number of themes with sensitive and confrontational images. For example, you will see photographs of deceased people, medical images, and photographs of people of color in a dehumanizing colonial context. These images are not included in the press images. A number of these images are available to the press on request.

Why does FOMU display these images? FOMU wants to show how photography has shaped and continues to shape our view of the world. These images are part of a broader history in which photography was also used as a medium for propaganda and as a scientific tool. As a museum, we are aware of the sensitivity of these images. We always provide context for these photos and documents.

Alexandre (Albert Edouard Drains), Iguanodon de Bernissart, opgegraven in 1878, 1883, Albuminedruk, Collectie FOMU P/1984/209Fernand Khnopff, Portret van Marguerite Khnopff, ca. 1900, Daglichtgelatinezilverdruk, Collectie FOMU P/1980/249/1François Braga & Joseph Pelizzaro, Gent, gezicht op Predikherenlei en -brug, 1839, Daguerreotypie, Collectie STAM - Stadsmuseum Gent 00816Adolphe Neyt, ‘Zicht op de maan’, uit Atlas photographique de la lune, 1869, Albuminedruk, Collectie Universiteitsbibliotheek Gent BIB.G.003513/-1

Joseph-Ernest Buschmann, Groenplaats, Antwerpen, 1848-50, Zoutdruk, Collectie FOMU P/1977/34/16Ghémar Frères, Zelfportret Louis Ghémar aan een piano, ca. 1862, Albuminedruk, Collectie FOMU 2022/130Louis Ghémar, Portret van koning Leopold I, 1856, Zoutdruk, Collectie Janssens, AntwerpenLéon Bovier, Portret van Madeleine Bovier als kleuter, ca. 1900, Daglichtcollodiumzilverdruk, Collectie FOMU 2024/33/32Adolphe Neyt, Zeezicht, 1881, Kooldruk, Collectie FOMU 2023/36/3

François Smeesters, Hulpmiddel voor mensen met verminderde mobiliteit, 1888-90, Albuminedruk, Collectie FOMU 2023/33/1Hofmans Multiphoto camera, 1890, Charles E. Hofmans (Brussel), Multiobjectieven camera voor 12 opnamen formaat 2,5 × 3 cm op platen 13 × 18 cm, twaalf meniscusobjectieven, fixed-focus, vast diafragma, deksel van de camera dient als sluiter, Collectie FOMU B/205/54Ernest Huybrechts, ‘L'Explosion’, in La Catastrophe d'Anvers. 6 septembre, 1889. Album contenant 18 planches. Au profit des victimes (Anvers: Section anversoises de L'Association belge de Photographie / Jos. Maes, 1889), 1889, Lichtdruk, Collectie FOMU P/1963/20/4Henri Van Heurck, Röntgenfoto van borst vervomd door korset, 1896-97, Daglichtgelatinezilverdruk, Collectie GUM – Gents Universiteitsmuseum GWET_VHX_125

PUBLIC MEDIATION & ACTIVITY PROGRAM

FOMU has developed a diverse range of public events to accompany the exhibition:

FOMU offers a wide range of guided tours and workshops for secondary schools. Discover the full range at fomu.be

DANIAL SHAH - BECOMING, BELONGING & VANISHING

24.10.25 - 04.01.26

Belonging, Becoming and Vanishing is an exhibition by Danial Shah based on his ongoing artistic research. ​ 

Through photography and film, Shah explores the world of photo studios in his hometown Quetta (Pakistan). Spaces originally characterized by hand painted backdrops, costumes and material props, these studios have today morphed into digital collage playgrounds. Nevertheless they still serve the original function as spaces for constructing and reworking identities, aspirations, and belongings. ​ 

Shah’s work highlights how people use these studios to project themselves into imagined realities and to construct themselves amidst changing personal dreams and social dramas. ​ 

The exhibition Danial Shah – Becoming, Belonging and Vanishing takes place on the first floor. Shah's PhD research is supervised by Sint Lucas School of Arts Antwerp (KdG) and Visual and Digital Cultures Research Center (ViDi, University of Antwerp), partners of ARIA, Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts. 

About the artist

Danial Shah (Quetta, Pakistan, 1989) works with the medium of photography and film and is currently pursuing an artistic PhD at Sint Lucas Antwerp and University of Antwerp. His debut feature film Make it Look Real (2024) premiered at International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) in 2024 and is currently being shown at various film festivals. 

PRESS IMAGES & INTERVIEWS

Below you will find a selection of low-resolution press images. High-resolution images and additional images are available on request. You may use a maximum of 3 press images free of copyright in articles about the exhibition. The images may not be cropped and the copyright must always be stated in full.

Artist Danial Shah and curator Anne Ruygt will be present at the press preview and are available for interviews. Please contact Isabelle Willems and Sarah Skoric to request an interview.