Candida Höfer: Düsseldorf

Candida Höfer, born in 1944 in Eberswalde, Germany, is undeniably one of the leading contemporary international photo artists. She is primarily known for her large-format color photographs of mostly deserted interiors of artistic and cultural relevance. Places of knowledge, places of education, places of enjoyment of the arts such as libraries, museums, public rooms of earthly and divine power in palaces and churches, cultural meeting places such as theaters and opera houses, which she composes deliberately matter-of-factly, from a central perspective or a diagonal ideal. What at first glance seems mundane in its perfection, upon closer inspection reveals itself to be a system transcending architecture, precisely reproduced, which is also reflected in the depth of the image. In many of her works, haphazard details such as a moved barrier, a forgotten bucket, or an unsightly floor full of stains break through the strict order of things. Traces of people absent at the time bestow ordinariness and normalcy to what at first glance appears to be an idealized scenery. Candida Höfer has been exhibiting her work at Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle since 1985, and this year’s exhibition is entitled “Düsseldorf.” The artist associates Düsseldorf with her beginnings, first and foremost with studying at the Academy in the well-known class of Bernd and Hilla Becher (1976–1982). The solo exhibition “Candida Höfer: Düsseldorf” in the local Museum Kunstpalast was dedicated to this subject (Sept 2013–Feb 2014). A selection of these works is now on show in our gallery in Munich.