CANDIDA HÖFER

Interior architectural details, canonical paintings and sculptures, and rows of books fill Höfer’s pick of Italy’s palaces of culture, which seem simultaneously poised for activation by humans and redolent of their many past occupants. Shooting in natural or existing light and using long exposure, the windows and mirrors in these storied spaces attain a super-charged, al-most auratic glow. In her work, Höfer skilfully captures both space and time, and something holy too.

Famously studying photography under Bernd and Hilla Becher at the Düsseldorf Art Academy in the 1970s, she developed a conceptual photography practice focused on the empty interiors of public buildings that nevertheless feel, in her framing, alive with a sense of presence. Her extensive list of major solo exhibitions in important institutions worldwide includes the Louvre in Paris, the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin, and the Kunsthalle Basel, among many others. In 2003, Höfer represented Germany at the Venice Biennale. She is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and accolades, becoming, most recently, a Lucie Award Honouree in 2022; in 2018, she was recognised for her Outstanding Contribution to Photography at the Sony World Photography Awards. Her work is held in major collections around the globe, including the Centre Pompidouin Paris, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the TateModern in London, to name just a few.