Danielle van Zadelhoff

Danielle van Zadelhoff’s solo exhibition “Commedia dell’Arte” is dedicated to an artistic interpretation of this year’s thematic focus on mythology on the occasion of the cultural supporting program of the Inititive Münchner Galerien for the Munich Opera Festival 2025. Complex social phenomena that have been captured for centuries in historical myths about war and peace, jealousy and love, temptation or delusions of grandeur have found and continue to find expression in art, music and drama to this day. In this context, the Amsterdam-born artist’s photographs transfer the Italian Commedia dell’Arte from around 1700 to the present day, thus creating a transcendental bridge to the human drama of the 21st century: Sad harlequins and mystical female figures emerge from intense contrasts of light and dark, reminiscent of the baroque design principle of chiaroscuro in oil painting, casting a metaphorical glance at the increasingly troubled world stage. With a focus on the past and future of humanity, viewers are invited to inscribe their own myths onto the protagonists in the paintings and to retell their stories. Zadelhoff’s fascination with photography began as a child and was significantly influenced by her artistically inclined father. She learned in-depth techniques from the photographer Leopold Beels van Heemstede in Antwerp, Belgium, where she still lives and works today.

Danielle van Zadelhoff, Knight of the order of Fools, 2024, Inkjet print (Epson SureColor P20000), 140 x 80 cm, Edition of 6 plus 2 artist’s proofs, Bildrechte: Danielle van Zadelhoff