The exhibition offers an early look at the duo’s 2026 retrospective in the Netherlands
From November 13 to December 12, 2025, India Mahdavi’s Project Room #21 will present works from the forthcoming retrospective Can Love Be a Photograph. 40 Years of Inez & Vinoodh, set to open on March 20, 2026, at Kunstmuseum Den Haag in the Netherlands. The exhibition offers an early glimpse into four decades of the duo’s exploration of photography’s expressive and conceptual possibilities.
Since the early 1990s, Inez & Vinoodh have consistently pushed the boundaries of visual language, becoming among the first to employ digital imaging as both a creative tool and a narrative device. Their combination of seductive aesthetics and provocative storytelling helped introduce new ways of thinking about photography. Known equally for their experimental digital work and their black-and-white portraiture, they move fluidly between the art and fashion worlds, choosing each venue according to the needs of the work. The circulation between these fields informs their practice, dissolving conventional boundaries.
The selection at Project Room #21 reflects their ongoing dialogue with technique, history, and process. Several pieces are among the first images made with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, captured in Marfa, Texas, for Joy, in 3 Parts, a multi-city exhibition curated by Kathy Ryan in collaboration with Apple. At the center of the triptych Think Love., artists Charles Matadin and Natalie Brumley share a kiss beneath a sheer red veil, a composition that underscores the emotional clarity of romantic love as well as the introspection inherent in intimate connection. Referencing Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss, the image juxtaposes Charles’s structured denim and Natalie’s swirling lace motifs, presenting the pair on a symbolic path toward renewal.
The showing coincides with Paris Photo and underscores architect, designer, and scenographer India Mahdavi’s commitment to bringing new cultural narratives to the neighborhood she shares with the artists. As the first photography exhibition staged within the Project Room series, Think Love. aligns with the space’s ethos of generosity, collaboration, and creative exchange. Located on rue de Bellechasse, the Project Room is a platform programmed by Mahdavi for free expression, experimentation, and interdisciplinary dialogue. It hosts installations, models, decors, screenings, performances, lectures, and meetings, regenerating four times a year with free public access.
Think Love. was originally conceived for Joy, in 3 Parts, presented by Inez & Vinoodh, Mickalene Thomas, and Trunk Xu. The exhibition, which debuted in New York and Shanghai in September 2025 and includes a private viewing in London, brings together the artists’ individual interpretations of joy and features the earliest images created with the iPhone 17 Pro Max. It will open in three cities simultaneously, with London operating by invitation only and New York and Shanghai open to the public for the first time.
As the artists explain, “Our work, however well planned, depends on improvisation. The delicate exchange with our subjects in the moment is key to our process. The iPhone’s immediacy and intimacy, while preserving the highest photographic quality, has been a game-changer for us.”
Apple provided early access to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, allowing the artists to work outside commercial constraints and explore the camera’s latest capabilities. As the device becomes increasingly integrated into professional workflows, the exhibition highlights how iPhone technology supports both fine art and everyday creative practice, reinforcing its role within contemporary image making.
Opening night: November 13, 2025, 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Exhibition open: November 13 to December 12
Gallery hours: Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
