Candida Höfer

German photographer Candida Höfer makes a significant return to Ben Brown Fine Arts in London on 12 February with a major solo show, unveiling thirteen new and previously unseen photographs which catalogue the architectural treasures of Northern Italy.

 

Mantova, Vicenza, Sabbioneta, Venice and Carpi provide the glorious setting for this new series shot over the past two years, a continuation of Höfer's previous work in Central and Southern Italy.

The interiors of palaces, opera houses, libraries and theatres, which Höfer captures with incredible skill, are  part  of  her  meticulous  documentation  of  public  spaces  -  places  of  culture,  knowledge, communication  and  exchange  with  a  rich  history  and  clear  functionality.  Having  rarely  visited  the Northern  region,  Höfer  was  particularly  touched  by  the  naturalness  and  ease  with  which  the  local people there accepted this extraordinary architecture as a part of their daily lives.

Höfer's  portraits  of  interiors,  customarily  devoid  of  human  presence,  emphasize  the  solemn magnificence of the Palazzo Ducale, Teatro La Fenice and Biblioteca Teresiana, amongst others. By featuring  spaces  that  celebrate  mankind's  greatness,  yet  where  people  are  nowhere  to  be  found, Höfer's images possess an unexpected poignancy which has become the hallmark of her work.