The Rudolfinum Gallery presents a remarkable exhibition featuring 95 black and white photographs by Bernd and Hilla Becher. These renowned artists systematically documented industrial landscapes like coal mines and steel mills, elevating utilitarian structures into compelling aesthetic objects. Their influential typological system showcases a fascinating interplay of forms, shaping an entire generation of German photographers with their meticulous artistic legacy.
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This exhibition showcases 95 black and white photographs by Bernd and Hilla Becher, focusing on their systematic documentation of industrial landscapes like coal mines and steel mills. The images transform industrial buildings into aesthetic objects, creating a fascinating interplay of forms and a typological system of industrial architecture.
The exhibition 'Bernd & Hilla Becher: Coal Mines. Steel Mills.' features a unique collection of 95 black and white photographs by the renowned pioneers of conceptual photography. For over forty years, Bernd (1931-2007) and Hilla (1934) Becher dedicated themselves to the systematic documentation of industrial landscapes, focusing on mines, steelworks, blast furnaces, gas holders, water towers, and lime works. Their approach elevated these utilitarian structures into autonomous aesthetic objects, often likened to the facades of medieval cathedrals, through careful composition and front-on perspectives. The resulting body of work not only establishes a distinctive typological system of industrial architecture but also presents a fascinating game of forms within carefully curated series of objects and motifs. The Bechers' influential work significantly shaped an entire generation of German photographers, often referred to as the 'Dusseldorf school,' including prominent artists like Thomas Struth, Candida Höfer, Thomas Ruff, and Andreas Gursky. This exhibition, organised in cooperation with the Josef Albers Museum, Quadrat Bottrop, offers a profound look into their meticulous and enduring artistic legacy.
Admission is voluntary. Last entry to the exhibition is strictly 30 minutes before closing time. Please note the gallery is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays.
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