Chas Gerretsen - photo exhibition

His name may not immediately ring a bell, but his photographs are world-famous. Being in the right place at the right time defines Chas Gerretsen. During the Vietnam War, he traveled throughout Southeast Asia; he was in Chile when General Pinochet seized power; and he was present on the set of Coppola’s epic Vietnam film Apocalypse Now. This photography exhibition was on view from October 7, 2023 through March 17, 2024.

From Vietnam to Hollywood

“I have spent my entire life chasing the dreams of my youth. I entered Vietnam to witness a war — it was never like in the Hollywood films. Later, I ended up on the set of Apocalypse Now — a war photographer photographing a war film. The circle was complete: from real to reel.”

Chas Gerretsen (1943) is an exceptional photographer, as clearly demonstrated in the exhibition. He left Groningen at the age of eighteen, traveled through Europe and Australia, and eventually arrived in Southeast Asia. In the late 1960s, he worked as a war photographer in Vietnam and was present during the 1973 coup in Chile against President Salvador Allende. Chas Gerretsen is the only Dutch photographer to have received the prestigious Robert Capa Gold Medal Award for exceptional courage in photojournalism.

He later settled in Hollywood, where he photographed stars such as John Travolta. He also worked as a photographer on the set of Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece. In the film, Dennis Hopper portrays a war photographer whose character was based on Chas Gerretsen.

Chas Gerretsen Photography Exhibition

The exhibition at Forum Groningen was structured in four chapters corresponding to key periods in Gerretsen’s photographic life: Vietnam and Southeast Asia, Chile and South America, Apocalypse Now, and Hollywood.

Gerretsen’s body of work consists primarily of photojournalism and war photography, addressing important themes such as: Is there such a thing as objective journalism? Should a photographer take a stance? Can a photograph be guilty?

Netherlands Photo Museum

Chas Gerretsen’s photo archive is part of the collection of the Netherlands Photo Museum (Nederlands Fotomuseum) in Rotterdam. The exhibition and accompanying catalogue were developed by guest curator Iris Sikking, commissioned by the Netherlands Photo Museum. The exhibition design was created by Mira Matić.