Performance van drie heren. Surrealisme-tent. Gal. Robert, A'dam 1938 1938

Editor: This gelatin silver print from 1938, titled "Performance van drie heren. Surrealisme-tent. Gal. Robert, A'dam 1938," by Lilly Samuel… it has such a bizarre, theatrical feel. There are so many elements fighting for attention! What can you tell me about it? Curator: This photograph, positioned as a “performance,” calls our attention to the means of art production itself. Consider the materials—the gelatin silver print, the physical construction of the “Surrealisme-tent”... it suggests a deliberate deconstruction of artistic creation as something crafted and performative rather than purely inspired. Notice, the gallery becomes a production site. How do you see labor reflected? Editor: Well, there's definitely labor involved in assembling this whole tableau: the mannequin, the painting in the background, the deer head... even the men themselves are arranged like objects. Curator: Exactly. It disrupts conventional art gallery presentations, redirecting our focus to what an art space is materially and socially, highlighting that artwork requires organization of materials and resources. Even those involved, down to their dress and posing. Editor: I hadn't really thought about the photograph itself as a kind of material documentation of the performance... like the creation isn’t just what’s in front of the camera. What would they have used to illuminate the figures? What sort of developer chemicals might have created that tonality? Curator: Precisely. It transforms from representation to documentation. Consider the labour of early gelatin silver prints compared to our world today. A piece like this really allows us to question traditional notions of artistic value and celebrate the making process, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. It definitely challenges the romantic idea of the artist as a solitary genius. Thanks; I'll definitely view art installation differently now. Curator: My pleasure! Thinking through materiality always gives another lens to value art, don't you think?