Danish photographer Michella Bredahl is presenting her first solo museum exhibition, titled "Rooms We Made Safe," at the Huis Marseille Museum for Photography in Amsterdam. The groundbreaking show, which opened in October and runs until February 8, 2026, features an intimate exploration of her complex relationship with her mother through both their photographic works.
The exhibition spans several floors of the Amsterdam museum and presents Bredahl's contemporary photography alongside an archive of her mother Maria Bredahl's photographs from the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. The show includes Maria's carefree self-portraits from earlier decades as well as raw, honest images taken during her struggles with addiction in the 90s, some captured by seven-year-old Michella herself.
Bredahl, who was raised by a devoted single mother in a social housing district on the outskirts of Copenhagen, draws heavily from her childhood experiences in her artistic practice. Her mother worked multiple jobs to support the family, and their home became a vibrant gathering place for neighborhood children, with each room painted in distinct colors. Despite the joyful atmosphere, the household was also affected by the challenges of addiction.
The inspiration for the exhibition began during the 2020 lockdown in Paris, where Bredahl had recently moved to pursue her photography career after studying film. Confined to a small room and unable to photograph outside, she began writing a manuscript about her mother titled "My Heroine." During this period, she started comparing their shared creativity and fascination with domestic spaces, recognizing this as an inherited artistic trait.
"I've always wanted to talk about her, I just never had the opportunity," Bredahl explained in a recent interview. "I sent the manuscript out to many places and never heard back. When director Nanda van den Berg invited me to do the solo show and welcomed me to the museum in Amsterdam, I brought all the photographs of my mother with me."
The exhibition traces key periods of Bredahl's work, from themes of femininity and desire explored in her acclaimed debut monograph "Love Me Again" (2023) to her dynamic images of pole dancers wearing high fashion. One particularly striking series shows pole dancers performing in Miu Miu clothing in their homes around Paris, created in collaboration with styling consultant Lotta Volkova for the brand's Autumn Winter 2024 collection.
"It was interesting bringing these two worlds together to see what the result would be," Bredahl noted. "Normally, you're not supposed to wear clothes when you pole dance, and you definitely wouldn't expect to see a Miu Miu collection in that setting. It was really hard for the girls to pole dance in those clothes, which gave the photographs a surreal energy."
The photographer's approach to her subjects is notably personal and long-term. Rather than meeting subjects once for a single shoot, she builds relationships over years, documenting friends, acquaintances, and families as their lives evolve. "A lot of the people I photograph are my friends," she said. "Being allowed to document their lives over time, when they're pregnant or with their kids, are moments I'll always appreciate."
For the maternal portion of the exhibition, Bredahl and her mother carefully selected works focusing on Maria's self-portraits from the 1970s and 80s. "I love my mom's photographs. Her work feels so real. They make you feel like you're looking directly into her life," Michella observed. "You can tell she is photographing herself not as others saw her, but as she saw herself: free and happy."
The exhibition doesn't shy away from difficult subjects, including Maria's past struggles with addiction. However, both women approached this topic with openness and creativity. "We talk about it all the time. I don't think addiction ever fully goes away, you just learn how to manage it," Bredahl explained. "What's been beautiful is having a space where we could be creative around it, especially because it's caused so much pain."
The show has resonated strongly with visitors, particularly other mothers and artists who have had to balance creativity with parental responsibilities. At the opening, Maria was surprised when people began asking for her autograph. "She said to me, 'What should I do? I don't have one!' It was really beautiful to see her have that moment," Michella recalled.
For Bredahl, the exhibition represents both a personal journey and an artistic statement about vulnerability and truth. "Something I value highly is not trying to be perfect. By doing that, you're vulnerable. I ask people to be vulnerable in front of my camera, so I wanted to be vulnerable too," she said.
The photographer hopes visitors will see the exhibition as "one big photograph" that holds up a mirror to examine family relationships, creativity, and resilience. "There is beauty in the truth, even if it's painful," she emphasized.
After its run in Amsterdam concludes in February 2026, the exhibition will travel to Kunstmuseum Brandts and the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark. A companion book, published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther and Franz König, is already available.
