A Look Inside on Anton Corbijn’s Hall of Rock Royalty

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Summary

  • Fotografiska Berlin will unveil a career-spanning showcase on Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn from May 9 through September 20
  • Spanning his five-decade-long career, the exhibition features nearly 150 images of culture’s biggest names

Fotografiska Berlin will soon host a large exhibition honoring Anton Corbijn, a renowned photographer famous for his work with musicians. Following its debut in Stockholm, the show, titled Corbijn, Anton, showcases nearly 150 photographs spanning his remarkable 50-year career, featuring portraits of many iconic figures in music and culture.

As a huge fan, I’ve always been struck by Anton Corbijn’s work – whether it’s his photos of icons like Björk and David Bowie, or artists like Ai Weiwei and Gerhard Richter. There’s just a raw, honest quality to everything he does. It’s not just still photography, either. He brings that same vibe to his films and music videos – seriously, he’s directed stuff for Depeche Mode, Arcade Fire, U2, Metallica, and even Nirvana! It’s an incredible body of work.

Corbijn sees his photographic style not as something he deliberately developed, but as a natural part of who he is. He explains, “Your style is simply how you’re unable to not create—it’s inherent.” He didn’t set out to find a style; he just couldn’t approach photography any other way.

The exhibition was developed closely with the artist, according to John Vikner, Fotografiska’s Global Director of Exhibitions. It will feature his most famous photographs alongside a more intimate collection of his personal favorites, including images from his ‘Staged’ series. In this series, Corbijn playfully portrays himself as iconic figures like Elvis Presley, Kurt Cobain, and John Lennon.

Growing up as the son of a quiet vicar on a small Dutch island, he found that music and, later, filmmaking connected him to the wider world – a place he called his “promise land.” He believed cameras were powerful tools for connection and purpose. He explained, “They let you reach out to people and say something meaningful.” This was especially important to him because he was very shy as a young person, but a strong desire to create with a camera helped him overcome that shyness.

The Anton Corbijn exhibition will be open in Berlin from May 9th to September 20th. If you can’t visit in person, the exhibition’s accompanying book, published by Hannibal Books and designed by M/M (Paris), is now available to purchase online. Visit the Fotografiska website for details.

Fotografiska Berlin
Oranienburger Str. 54,
10117 Berlin, Germany

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2026-05-07 23:26