He grew up in a politically charged environment during the Apartheid era in South Africa where he was sent to Zionist Jewish religious school, which profoundly influenced his later artistic practice.

Broomberg’s upbringing in a racially and ethnically segregated society shaped his awareness of social inequalities and fueled his desire to challenge dominant narratives through his work.

He briefly held the position of visiting professor at Karlsruhe (HfG) from October 2024 which was cut short due to his vocal solidarity with the Palestinian struggle and criticism of Zionism.

[15] At the age of 16, Adam Broomberg co-founded a political organisation called \"Linx\" in South Africa alongside other young students, including Yaël Farber.

[16] They employed Polaroid's vintage ID-2 camera, which included a \"boost\" button to increase the flash intensity, allowing it to photograph black people for the notorious passbooks, or \"dompas,\" used by the state to control their movements.

The project examines how photographed faces, stripped of context and interaction, become mere digital equivalents of death masks, highlighting the dehumanizing effects of such technologies.

Reflecting on his global identity, Broomberg said, \"My family escaped Europe before the Holocaust, I grew up in Africa, I learnt to be an artist in Italy, and I’ve lived in England for 20 years.

[citation needed] His solo exhibitions have been held in galleries and institutions worldwide, including the Tate Modern in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.