Studio PAAR: The Space Between Us

When loudness becomes the norm, softness becomes a position. But sometimes gentleness is the most radical gesture of all – Dutch photographer Pascal Bier’s first solo exhibition, The Space between Us, is set to open in Amsterdam as part of WorldPride, marking the 25th anniversary of the legalization of same-sex marriage in the Netherlands. Opening up to Container Love, Pascal talks about tenderness in his work, the anatomy of a perfect shot, and how vulnerability can create a bridge between people who have never met.

There are things we know about each other before we ever say a word. Not in a rational way, not as judgment, but as a kind of physical recognition. A quiet reading of signals we don’t fully control. Most of the time, my first impression tells me enough. I’ve never liked the idea of consciously analysing people as I meet them. I trust what my body registers before my mind starts explaining it. We are constantly receiving information from each other. The question is whether we still know how to listen.

The people closest to me matter in how they see me – not because I want to adapt to their expectations, but because trust sometimes reveals what we cannot see on our own. The same is true for my work. It means something when someone truly understands what I’m trying to communicate, or when an image creates a real emotional response in them.

I try to meet people with gentleness. Of course, family can be difficult – we can be harsh with the people we love most. But tenderness, for me, begins with how we relate to life itself. If I am kinder to myself, I can also be more present with others. Respect is not an abstract idea. It is a practice.

I’ve always been a visual person. Before photography, I was drawing constantly. I was fascinated by how a single image can carry something emotional without explanation, without language.

What I love most about photography are the in-between moments. The ones that are not planned or directed. Even in the most constructed environment, something will happen that no one staged. Those moments are often the most honest part of the process.

I like that openness. It leaves space for imagination.

Every project begins with an idea, but it only becomes real through collaboration. I build a team around a shared understanding of what we are trying to explore. That alignment is important. At the same time, I try not to hold on too tightly. Once the structure is in place, I like to let go. The most meaningful moments always appear when control softens. But they can only appear because there was intention first. Structure creates the conditions for freedom.

On set, there should be no sense of shame. I always make time for people to settle into the environment and into each other. We are building a temporary world, and everyone inside it matters equally. That sense of equality creates trust. And when people feel safe, they begin to release control. Something real can emerge – something that cannot be directed, only allowed.

There is a difference between documenting a world and interpreting one. Documenting means entering something that already exists. You observe it as it unfolds. You remain on the outside, even if only slightly. Interpreting means building a world from within. From thought, emotion, intuition. You translate something invisible into something visible. Both approaches are honest. But interpretation requires another kind of communication. You are not only capturing reality – you are constructing the conditions for a feeling to become real inside an image.

At the core of the Space between Us is always the same question: what exists between people.

We begin life in connection – with another body, another presence. That state is our first language. And yet, as we grow older, connection becomes more complicated. We are more connected than ever, but often feel further apart. We speak constantly, but listening has become rare.

The Space between Us is structured around five states: Connection, Tenderness, Passion, Trust, and Vulnerability. They were not imposed. They emerged slowly, like a rhythm that revealed itself through the work.

On my own path, I often felt like an outsider – not only in society, but sometimes within parts of the queer community as well. There is a lot of noise. And sometimes meaning gets lost inside it. Visibility and activism remain essential. But there is also space for another approach – one based on intimacy, trust, and emotional presence.

I wanted to explore those themes without relying on provocation. Without needing to be loud. When loudness becomes the norm, softness becomes a position. Sometimes gentleness is the most radical gesture available. The Space between Us is my first exhibition, opening during WorldPride in Amsterdam, in a year marking 25 years of marriage equality in the Netherlands. The moment carries weight, even if the work itself was never made for that context.

I feel both excited and nervous. The work comes from a very personal place, so showing it publicly is inherently vulnerable. It was not created for validation. It began as something private. Only later did it expand into something shared, through the support of people who believed in it. That process taught me to trust my instincts more deeply and create from conviction rather than expectation.

The series was created in Cape Town, shaped by the people, the landscapes, and the time spent there.

Shortly after the shoot, I was sitting in a café I often go to when I started talking to a woman I didn’t know. I showed her some images and the introduction to the project. As she read, she began to cry. A stranger. And in that moment, something shifted. We were suddenly connected by something neither of us could fully explain.

I don’t expect that reaction from anyone. But I have never forgotten it. It reminded me that vulnerability can create a bridge between people who have never met. More than anything, I hope people can feel where this work comes from. We are constantly surrounded by images of who we are supposed to be. It becomes easy to perform instead of exist.

For me, openness in love begins with honesty. Not the version of yourself that is most acceptable, but the one that is real. When that honesty is present, connection changes. It is no longer based on performance, but recognition. We are human first. And when we allow that, we give others permission to meet us there too.

The Space Between Us by Studio PAAR opens on 9 July at Hotel From de Vijsel in Amsterdam. Check out here!

Story & Creative Direction: Pascal Bier, Studio PAAR
Production: Life Size Replica
Producers: Raine Grunau & Jerome Williams
Creative Producer: Jarrod Allies
Stills Photography: Studio PAAR
Cinematographer: Karlijn Tiebot
Talent: Sergio Adonis & Innes Maas
Choreographer: Isabella De Lima
Wardrobe: Kirsten Krumme
Gaffer & Lighting: Desmond Gqitekaya
Music and Sound: Jason Winde
Colorist: Nic Apostoli
Stills Retoucher: Edwin Veer
Transport: Chris Langeveldt & Cheslin Daniels
Creative Assistant: Tash Garish
Production Assistant: Thando Somane

A Special Thanks to:
Cedric Leherle at Mama Dance Agency
Jess Harlow at Wildekrans Wine Estate
Petro Van Dyk at Overberg Film Office
Afra Reijers-Holtjer & Marie Burnet
Boss Models CT

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