Inspired by an article in local newspaper Gazet van Antwerpen, I went to FOMU or Fotomuseum, Antwerp‘s photography museum, for ‘Early Gaze‘. This exhibition runs until Sunday 1 March 2026.
‘Early Gaze’ casts a fresh light on the rise and development of photography in 19th-century Belgium, tracing how a groundbreaking technological invention reshaped visual culture from its very beginnings.
The emergence of photography did not merely introduce a new medium; it fundamentally altered the way people perceived themselves, others and the world around them. What began as a marvel of scientific innovation soon evolved into a far-reaching system of representation, capable of producing authority, shaping narratives and exercising control.
The exhibition ‘Early Gaze’ explores the birth of Belgian photography at a moment when the medium was still searching for its purpose and boundaries. From the very first mug shots and early urban views to pioneering applications in the arts, medical science and the justice system, photography rapidly expanded into domains where it carried social, political and ethical weight.
The exhibition reveals how what initially functioned as an elite pastime—accessible only to a small, privileged group—gradually transformed into a powerful tool for recording, classifying and constructing identity.
Through a rich selection of photographs, objects and archival materials, visitors gain new insight into the photographers who helped shape the visual language of a young nation. ‘Early Gaze’ foregrounds both well-known and overlooked pioneers, placing their work within the broader social and historical context of 19th-century Belgium. Forgotten portraits, early experiments and rarely seen images reveal how photography participated in nation-building, scientific progress and the emergence of modern systems of surveillance and documentation.
Influential
At the same time, the exhibition invites reflection on the enduring impact of these early images. Many of the visual conventions established in the 19th century continue to influence contemporary image culture today.
Themes such as agency, consent, authorship and power – so often debated in relation to modern photography and digital media – can already be traced back to photography’s earliest decades. ‘Early Gaze’ makes visible how the act of looking, framing and recording was never neutral, but always shaped by social hierarchies and institutional interests.
Reflecting reality
Crucially, ‘Early Gaze’ demonstrates that photography did not simply reflect reality; it actively helped to construct it. From the outset, the medium functioned as an instrument that reinforced the narratives of the ruling class, legitimised authority and normalised particular ways of seeing. By situating early photographs within their original contexts of production and use, the exhibition reveals how power was embedded in the photographic image itself—a legacy that continues to resonate in today’s visual world.
Book
The exhibition is accompanied by the publication ‘Early Gaze’, published by Hannibal Books. This richly illustrated hardcover volume (304 pages, Dutch/English) brings together a wide selection of unique photographs by key figures such as François Braga, Joseph Pelizzaro, Guillaume Claine, Joseph Ernest Buschmann and Edmond Fierlants, alongside many others.
The book offers further historical context and visual depth, extending the exhibition’s exploration of early photography and its lasting influence. It will be available for €55 in the FOMU shop and online.
A visit
‘Early Gaze’ encompasses a large portion of the museum. The exhibition starts on the 4th floor (European way of counting) and continues on the 2nd. You get to see photos obviously, but also cameras. Don’t forget to visit the camera obscura.
Videoclips explain some important evolutions of early photography.
The exhibition is quite ‘classic’. It’s a history of photography. It’s refreshing for FOMU to exhibit something more factual rather arty farty or woolly. I actually learned a few things.
A bonus is you get to see how Belgium looked like in the early days of the Kingdom.
Art and museums in Antwerp
- ANTWERP | KMSKA schedules ambitious exhibition programme for 2026, featuring international masters such as Antony Gormley, Philip Aguirre y Otegui and Ossip Zadkine.
- Museums of the City of Antwerp look ahead to 2026.
- ANTWERP | ‘Urban Legends’: three young makers take over Museum Mayer van den Bergh on 29 November, 6 December and 29 January.
- ANTWERP | ‘Suske & Wiske and the Visual Arts’: M HKA shows how a comic strip series Shapes the collective memory.
- REVIEW | ‘La ligne de vie’ René Magritte exhibition at Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA).
- REVIEW | ‘Universal Tongue’, on dance, at Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS) until 4 January 2026.
- 2028 to be Music Year in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Flemish government cancels €130 million new museum building for M HKA in Antwerp.
- MOMU | ‘GIRLS. On Boredom, Rebellion and Being In-Between’, 27 September 2025 to 1 February 2026.
- ANTWERP | Museum Plantin-Moretus highlights 300 years of women’s stories in ‘Women’s Business / Business Women’.
- Antwerp fashion museum MoMu will mark 40 years of The Antwerp Six with exhibition.
- ANTWERP | Museum Mayer van den Bergh opens exhibition ‘Public Favourites’, from Mad Meg to Delft Blue, look at art through other people’s eyes.
- ANTWERP | Middelheim Museum celebrates 75 years with a summer full of new ways to experience the art park.
- ANTWERP | ‘Compassion’ in the MAS: the many faces of compassion.
- 2025 at the museums of Antwerp.
- 2025 at Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Antwerp (KMSKA): René Magritte, Marthe Donas, Panamarenko, Hans Op de Beeck.
- ANTWERP | Graphics Museum De Reede ft. Francisco Goya, Edvard Munch, Félicien Rops and Albrecht Dürer.
- ANTWERP | Rubens Experience and Rubens Garden at Rubenshuis.
- ANTWERP | Innovations in the Middelheim Museum provide a completely new visitor experience.
- A visit of the Flemish Tram and Bus Museum – Vlaams Tram- en Autobusmuseum (VlaTAM) in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Discovering queer(ed) art with the Queer Tour at the KMSKA fine arts museum.
- REVIEW | Illusion Antwerpen, an active and photogenic museum.
- Antwerp museums and sports facilities team up with European Disability Card for accessible leisure activities.
- Museum Mayer van den Bergh.
- ANTWERP | Inside Rubens House.
- Museum Plantin-Moretus in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Museum Vleeshuis up for restoration.
- BOOK | ‘Antwerp. An Archaeological View on the Origin of the City’ by Tim Bellens.
- Red Star Line Museum.
- Paleis op de Meir.
- DIVA, Antwerp Home of Diamonds.
- ANTWERP | Red Star Line Museum of (e)migration.