German photographer Candida Höfer, renowned for her exploration of public spaces and architecture, has been awarded the 2024 Käthe Kollwitz Prize. This prestigious honor, presented annually by the Akademie der Künste in Berlin since 1960, recognizes a visual artist living and working in Germany. Höfer received €12,000 ($13,400) at a ceremony on September 13. An exhibition of her work opened on September 14 at the Akademie der Künste and will be on display until November 24.
Born in Eberswalde, Germany, in 1944, Höfer studied under Arno Jansen and Bernd Becher. Initially working in black-and-white, she shifted to color photography in the late 1970s, capturing Turkish families who had immigrated to Germany. This transition helped her better depict her subjects. Following the success of this series, Höfer focused on public spaces like libraries, museums, theaters, and zoological gardens, often photographing them devoid of people to highlight the psychology of social architecture. Her large-scale photographs are known for their vivid colors and absence of occupants.
Karin Sander, a jury member and director of the Akademie’s visual arts section, praised Höfer’s work, stating, “With her precision of image focus and detail, Candida Höfer gives the spaces a significant, almost spiritual quality, which is reinforced by the presence of the people who are absent.” Höfer joins a distinguished group of past recipients, including Sandra Vásquez de la Horra (2023), Nan Goldin (2022), Maria Eichhorn (2021), Timm Ulrichs (2020), Hito Steyerl (2019), Adrian Piper (2018), and Katharina Sieverding (2017).
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