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This publication came about in collaboration with Obscuur: Fotografietijdschrift as an exhibition catalogue for the eponymous exhibition at S.M.A.K., Ghent, from August 18 to November 18, 2001.
Born in 1958 in Eeklo, Dirk Braeckman is a Belgian artist who lives and works in Ghent.
He studied photography and film at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent (1977–1981). In 1982, he co-founded the influential Ghent-based Galerie and magazine XYZ. Braeckman is renowned for his monumental, dark, and suggestive black-and-white photographs. His practice treats the darkroom like a painter’s studio, focusing on texture and light. He manipulates negatives using chemicals and brushes to create highly tactile, unique prints. His work often features "non-places" like empty hotel rooms, corridors, and curtains. Time is central to his process; he often develops film years after it was originally shot. This delay distances the final work from the original emotional state of the photographer. Braeckman represented Belgium at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017 to critical acclaim. He was also invited to participate in the 34th Bienal de São Paulo in 2021.In 2024, his exhibition Echtzeit at FOMU Antwerp explored his dialogue with their collection. This show was paired with Night Wanderers at Kunstmuseum Den Haag later that same year.
In May 2025, he premiered new works in the exhibition No Denial, No Explanation.As of 2026, he continues to expand his research into image appropriation and his own archives.His subjects range from blurred nudes to quiet architectural details and elusive landscapes. He rejects the idea of photography as "truth," instead offering a "boundless illusion". His work has been commissioned by the Belgian Royal Family for the Royal Palace in Brussels.
Braeckman’s photography is held in the permanent collection of the MOMA, New York, the SMAK in Ghent and the Bibliothèque nationale de France. He received an honorary doctorate from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 2021. Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards, including the Culture Prize of Flanders. His art is frequently shown at leading international galleries like Zeno X and GRIMM. He is recognized as one of the most significant Belgian artists working today.His practice remains a "lifelong artistic quest" for the boundaries of visual art forms.
