Reflections of Spaces - Spaces of Reflection

KOTARO NUKAGA, Roppongi is pleased to present ‘Reflections of Spaces – Spaces of Reflection,’ an exhibition of works by German photographer Candida Höfer, which will run from October 14 to December 23. This marks the Cologne-based photographer’s first solo exhibition with us, and will center on her iconic library series. Exploring the very concept of place, Höfer’s images reveal and reflect the forces at play within public spaces through a fresh realist perspective.

Höfer attended the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in her home country between 1973 and 1982, studying film under Ole John for three years before enrolling in Bernd Becher’s photography class. Her fellow students in this class included Thomas Struth, Andreas Gursky, and Thomas Ruff, and they each went on to push the boundaries of photographic expression within contemporary art, producing numerous works that are significant in the history of both art and photography. In Höfer’s work, the primary focus is on places. In fields such as social anthropology, where the idea has long been an object of inquiry, “place” represents more than just the physical space; it is something that acquires meaning in relation to its cultural, social, and historical contexts, influences people’s identities, and interweaves with sociopolitical power structures.

Over a career spanning half a century, Höfer has photographed interior spaces of all kinds across Europe and the Americas, framing them as prominent places of culture. For instance, Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek Weimar VI (2004)—the key visual for this exhibition—captures the rococo hall of the titular historic library in Weimar, Germany, established in 1766 by Duchess Anna Amalia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel^[d]. The library, which was among the buildings in Weimar collectively designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, is an important example of German Classicism, and is also notable for its long-time librarian, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Its hall in particular, designed in the elegant and ornate rococo style of the 18th century and bedecked with busts and portraits, is a testament to the power enjoyed at the time by the Duchess, who had the building remodeled into this library with its built-in shelves. Closer examination of the details reveals an electrical cable on the right-hand side, extending towards the ceiling from the lighting fixture that protrudes from the second-floor balustrade, and another cable, a little left of center, running from the column beside the bookshelf to the floor above. Rather than cover up such elements and present the hall simply as a site of historical import, Höfer allows us to view it as a contemporary place of culture that is a composite of elements from different epochs.