Controlling magnetism, essential for a wide range of technologies, is impaired by the impossibility of generating a maximum of magnetic field in free space. Here, we propose a strategy based on negative permeability to overcome this stringent limitation. We experimentally demonstrate that an active magnetic metamaterial can emulate the field of a straight current wire at a distance. Our strategy leads to an unprecedented focusing of magnetic fields in empty space and enables the remote cancellation of magnetic sources, opening an avenue for manipulating magnetic fields in inaccessible regions.