Demonstratie van drie heren met gewei en schilderij tijdens de opening van de tentoonstelling in Galerie Robert in Amsterdam 1938 Exposition Internationale du Surrealisme 1938

Lilly Samuel shot this photograph in Amsterdam in 1938, during the opening of the International Surrealism exhibition. It's all slightly haunted, like a theater set. I feel like I’m peering into Samuel's world, an inside joke or perhaps a stage set. It makes me want to be there. The black and white tones give it a timeless quality, like a memory fading into the past but still vivid with life. Look at the juxtaposition of the three men donning antlers, and the mannequin beside them, like a silent observer. I wonder what Samuel was thinking, framing this scene, aligning these characters. There's a playful absurdity, yet each element seems carefully placed, creating a dialogue between the real and the artificial. It feels like a celebration of oddity. I love that. Samuel, and other photographers, have taught me to be more open, curious, and playful in my own work. It's about embracing the unexpected and finding the beauty in the strange.