Andreas Gursky
- Year of birth, place
- 1955, Leipzig, Germany
- Role at the ZKM
- in the collection
- Biography
- Andreas Gursky was born in Leipzig in 1955. He studied (1981-87) under Bernd and Hilla Becher at the Kunstakademie, Düsseldorf. He lives in Düsseldorf.
Gursky's mostly large colour photographs are informed by a systematic, conceptual approach to his motifs that eschews any element of staging. His subject matter ranges from landscapes, via city squares to the interiors of huge factories. Gursky favours restrained colouring that creates an almost surrealistic sense of space and that effectively increases the element of abstraction.
Individual exhibitions (selection)
1987 Flughafen Düsseldorf
1988 Galerie Johnen & Schöttle, Cologne
1989 Museum Haus Lange, Krefeld; PSI (Project Studio One), New York
1992 Kunsthalle Zürich
1993 Monika Sprüth Galerie, Cologne
1994 Deichtorhallen, Hamburg, subsequently Stichting De Appel, Amsterdam
1995 Portikus, Frankfurt/M; Tate Gallery Liverpool
1996 Victoria Miro Gallery, London; Galerie Ghislaine Hussenot, Paris; Galerie Jean Bernier, Athen
1997 Galerie Mai 36, Zürich
Group exhibitions (selection)
1985 Künstlerwerkstatt Lothringer Straße, Munich
1989 »1. Deutscher Photopreis«, Stuttgart
1990 »Aperto«, Biennale di Venezia, Venice; »Da Afstand«, Witte de With, Rotterdam
1991 »Bremer Kunstpreis«, Bremer Kunsthalle, Bremen
1992 »Qui, quoi, oû? Un regard sur l'art en Allemagne en 1992«, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris; »Doubletake«, Hayward Gallery, London, subsequently at Kunsthalle, Vienna
1993 »Die Fotografie in der deutschen Gegenwartskunst«, Museum Ludwig, Cologne
1994 »Junge deutsche Kunst der 90er Jahre aus NRW«, Sonje Museum of Contemporary Art, Kyongju, Südkorea, subsequently at Pao Galleries, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong, Taipei Fine Arts Museum Centre, Taipei, Peking, Osaka
1995 »Dicht am Leben«, 3. Internationale Foto-Triennale Esslingen
1996 »Prospect '96«, Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt/M; The Biennale of Sydney, The Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; »Fotografia Nell'Arte Tedesca Contemporanea«, Claudia Gian Ferrari Arte Contemporanea, Milan
1997 »Belladonna«, Institute of Contemporary Arts, London; Yokohama Museum of Art, Yokohama
[David Richardt, 1997]
