A German artist best known for her large-format photographs of public spaces and architectural structures.

Candida Höfer is part of the Düsseldorf School of photography, a group of students who trained under Bernd and Hilla Becher at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf between the years 1976 — 1998. It was one of the most significant phenomena in the history of contemporary photography. Together with her prominent coursemates Andreas Gursky, Thomas Strutt and Thomas Ruff, Candida Höfer has redefined and strengthened the appeal of art photography.



The ‘Düsseldorfers’ were inspired by the ideas of European photo avant-garde, such as the medium’s mechanical aesthetics, its structuring and disciplining functions, and the notion that the camera supplements human eye. These ideas gain new dimensions in the late XXth century with the rise of digital photography and development of museum institutions. Characteristic for the Düsseldorf School of photography are sharp focus, large format prints, restrained composition, as well as cold and contemplative intonation. In their works, they explore the issue of optical reception of art and address the nature of communication between the art and the beholder.



Empty public interiors depicted by Candida Höfer are abstracted and non-functional, arrestingly perfect. An elevated viewpoint and a long exposure create the impression that no detail escapes the eye. A balanced, symmetrical composition disciplines the space abundant with details. Cold white light (Höfer only uses natural lighting of these interior spaces) eases the thick silence. It is an experience of deep and intense quietude.



Höfer’s photographs both absorb and exclude the viewer. It is quite hard to imagine oneself entering these photographs’ space, as the images themselves do not address any bodily or emotional experience. Rather, they demand a concentrated eye. This ocular experience is unlike any form of experience an actual visitor might get. A contemplative, abstract gaze in Höfer’s photographs accounts for the artistic value.



In 2014, Candida Höfer visited Saint-Petersburg, and made some photographs at the Hermitage. These images were exhibited in 2015, and later the artist donated some of them to the museum.