Skip to navigation Skip to main content

In majestic large-format color photography, Candida Höfer captures the psychological residue left behind in empty public and institutional spaces. Höfer meticulously composes her shots, positioning herself symmetrically either in the center of rooms or along a diagonal that best reveals the space’s internal architecture. She prefers places that contain an institutional history, embodied either in texts or in structures, such as libraries, museums, and zoos. A member of the Düsseldorf School and former student of Bernd and Hilla Becher, Höfer is influenced by the legacy of conceptual and typological photography.

Candida Höfer (b. 1944, Eberswalde, Germany) lives and works in Cologne. She was the subject of institutional solo exhibitions at the North Carolina Museum of Art (2018), Musée du Louvre (2006), Irish Museum of Modern Art (2006), Kunsthalle Basel (1999) and Museum Folkwang (1982). Her work has been collected by prestigious public and private collections worldwide.

Spaces may or may not invite the image — if they do, they mostly do it with their spatial layers of time… It is then the image that takes the place of the space; the image in its own right.

Candida Höfer

Biography

Education

  • 1964 - 1968

    Kölner Werkschule, Cologne, Germany

  • 1973 - 1982

    Kunstakademie, Dusseldorf, Germany

Awards

  • 2018

    Outstanding Contribution to Photography, Sony World Photography Awards

  • 2015

    Cologne Fine Art Prize, Germany

  • 2007

    Kunstpreis Finkenwerder, Hamburg, Germany

  • 1968

    Ars Viva-Preis des Kulturkreises der Deutchen Wirtschaft im BDI e.V.

Solo Exhibitions

  • 2023

    Sean Kelly, New York, NY, USA

    Konrad Fischer Galerie, Berlin, Germany

  • 2022

    Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum, Long Beach, CA, USA

    Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Vaduz, Liechtenstein

    Paul Clemen Museum, Kunsthistorisches Institut Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    Museum of Photography, Berlin, Germany

    Ben Brown Fine Arts, Hong Kong

  • 2021

    Galerie Thomas Zander, Cologne, Germany

    Ben Brown Fine Arts, London, UK

  • 2020

    Kukje Gallery, Busan, South Korea

    Enlightened Spaces, Matthew Liu Fine Arts, Shanghai, China

    Libraries: The Return, Neue Galerie Gladbeck, Germany

  • 2019

    About Structures and Colors, Galería Helga de Alvear, Madrid, Spain

    Hall Art Foundation | Schloss Derneburg Museum, Derneburg, Germany

    In Mexico, Sean Kelly, New York, NY, USA

    Paris, VNH Gallery, Paris, France

    Contemplations, Yuka Tsuruno Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

    In Moskau, Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, Munich, Germany

    Showing and Seeing, Ben Brown Fine Arts, London, UK

    State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

  • 2018

    In México, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC, USA

    En México, Museo Amparo, Puebla, Mexico

    Time, Places and Spaces, DIRIMART, Istanbul, Turkey

    Elbphilharmonie 2016, Ungers Archiv für Architekturwissenschaft, Cologne, Germany

    Paris Revisited, VNH Gallery, Paris, France

    Portraits of Spaces, Les Rencontres d’Arles, Arles, France

    Spaces of Enlightenment, Kukje Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

  • 2017

    En México, Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, Mexico City, México

    En México, Centro de las Artes, Monterrey, México

    Spaces and Places, Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA, USA

  • 2016

    Memory, Ben Brown Fine Arts, Hong Kong, China

    Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, Munich, Germany

    Palaces of St-Petersburg, Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow, Russia

    Nach Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, Berlin, Germany

    In Mexico, OMR, Mexico City, Mexico

    In Mexico, Antiguo Colegio de Illdefonso, Mexico City, Mexico

    Inna Contemporary Space, Hangzhou, China

    Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, Berlin, Germany

    Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Observations, Galerie Thomas Zander, Cologne, Germany

  • 2015

    Memory, The Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia

    On Methods, Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, Beijing, China

    Memory, Ben Brown Fine Arts, London, UK

    Galería Helga de Alvear, Madrid, Spain

    From Dusseldorf, Sean Kelly, New York, NY, USA

    Les Bourgeois de Calais a Venice, Ca’Pesaro Galleria Internazionale, Venice, Italy

    Spaces of Knowledge, Galleri K, Oslo, Norway

  • 2014

    Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, Munich, Germany

    Immagini di Architettura, Fondazione Bisazza, Vicenza, Italy

    Villa Borghese, Ben Brown Fine Arts, London, UK

    Yuka Tsuruno Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

    Dusseldorf, Kunstmuseum Luzern, Luzern; Landesgalerie Linz, Linz, Austria

    Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich, Switzerland

  • 2013

    A Return to Italy, Ben Brown Fine Arts, London, UK

    Bindings, Patrick De Brock, Knokke, Belgium

    Candida Höfer per la Galleria Borghese, Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy

    Stiftung Museum Kunstpalast, Dusseldorf, Germany

    Frühe Arbeiten, Galerie Thomas Zander, Cologne, Germany

    Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich, Switzerland

    Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, Munich, Germany

    Immagini di Architettura, Fondazione Bisazza, Vicenza, Italy

    Mantova, Museo Civico di Palazzo Te, Mantua, Italy

    Villa Borghese, Sonnabend Gallery, New York, NY, USA

    Yuka Tsuruno Gallery, Tokyo, Japan

  • 2012

    Türken in Deutschland, Museum für Neue Kunst, Freiburg, Germany

    Interior Worlds, The Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Johnen Galerie, Berlin, Germany

    Inna Contemporary Art Space, Hangzhou, China

    Nordrhein-Westfälische Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Künste, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Artipelag Konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden

    K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf, Germany

  • 2011

    Candida Höfer/Kuehn Malvezzi, Galleria Marabini, Galleria Marabini, Bologna, Italy

    Vorstellungen, Theater Bremen, Bremen, Germany

    Baltimore, The Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Kukje Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

    Galleria Marabini, Milan, Italy

    Galería Fúcares, Madrid, Spain

    Spaces: Photographs by Candida Höfer and Thomas Struth, Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA, USA

  • 2010

    Infinite Moments, SCAD Savannah / Pinnacle Gallery, Savannah, GA, USA

    Infinite Moments, SCAD Atlanta / ACA Gallery of SCAD, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Candida Höfer in Italy, Naples and Florence, Italy

    Ben Brown Fine Arts, Hong Kong, China

    ESPACIOS PROPIOS, Museo Diocesano de Santiago de Compostela y Biblioteca de la Cidade da Cultura de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, Munich, Germany

    Kuehn Malvezzi, Oldenburger Kunstverein, Oldenburg, Germany

    Paolini-Höfer, Villa Massimo, Rome, Italy

    Philadelphia, Galerie der Stadt Tuttlingen, Tuttlingen, Germany

    Projects: Done, MARCO Museo de Arte Contemporanea de Vigo, Vigo, Spain

    Projects: Done, centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, Sevilla, Spain

    Sonnabend Gallery, New York, NY, USA

    Zoologische Gärten, Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA, USA

  • 2009

    abundacia ausente, Galeria OMR, Mexico City, Mexico

    Bologna Series, Galleria Marabini, Milano, Italy

    In Italy: Part I Florence; Part II Naples, Ben Brown Fine Arts, London, UK

    Napoli Museo di Capodimonte, Naples, Italy

    Sonnabend Gallery, New York, NY, USA

    Spatial Portraits, Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, Florence, Italy

    Mario Sequeira Gallery, Braga, Portugal

    Projects: Done, Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen, Germany

    Philadelphia, Arcadia University Art Gallery, Glenside, PA, USA

    Some Versailles and Paris Spaces, Galleri K auf Art Cologne, Köhn, Germany

  • 2008

    Johnen Galerie, Berlin, Germany

    Kukje Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

    Paris Serie, Yvon Lambert Paris, Paris, France

    Photographien, Freie Akademie der Künste, Hamburg, Germany

    Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Weimarer Räume, Schloß Benrath, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Werkgruppen seit 1968. ZKM Karlsruhe I Museum für Kunst und edientechnologie. Karlsruhe, Germany

  • 2007

    Galerie Friedrich, Basel, Switzerland

    Henie Onstad Art Centre, Oslo, Norway

    Kunsthaus Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Museo Pescheria, Pesaro, Italy

    Galleria Marabini, Bologna, Italy

    Patrick De Brock, Knokke, Belgium

    Sonnabend Gallery, New York, NY, USA

  • 2006

    Centro Culturel de Belem, Lisbon, Portugal

    Johnen + Schottle, Cologne, Germany

    Galerie Rudiger Schottle, Munich, Germany

    Galerie Karlheinz Meyer, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Galleria Marabini, Bologna, Italy

    Graphische Sammlung der ETH Zürich, Switzerland

    Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland

    Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

    Sonnabend Gallery, New York, NY, USA

  • 2005

    Architecture of Absence, University Art Museum, CSU Long Beach, Long Beach, CA, USA; Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, FL, USA; Frye Museum, Seattle, Washington, DC, USA; Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Museum of Art, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA; Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN, USA

    Brazil Series, Galleri K, Oslo, Norway; Art Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    Candida Höfer, The Sheldon Art Galleries, St. Louis, MO, USA; Sonnabend Gallery, New York, NY, USA

    Photographs, Michigan Avenue Galleries, Chicago, IL, USA

    Galeria OMR, Mexico City, Mexico

    Johnen Galerie, Berlin, Germany

    Kestner Gesellschaft, Hannover, Germany; Museo Fotografia Contemporanea Luoghi sospesi. Candida Höfer fotografa l’opera di Carlo Scarpa, Querini Stampalia Foundation, Venezia

    Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Timespaces, Kukje Gallery, Seoul, South Korea

    Villa Ghirlanda, Cinisello Balsamo, Milano, Italy

  • 2004

    Arte Contemporanea Alberto Peola, Turin, Italy

    Candida Höfer in Ethnographischen Sammlungen, Volkerkundemuseum, Zurich, Switzerland

    Candida Höfer en Santillana del Mar. Tiempos y Espacios, Palacio de la Caja, Santillana del Mar, Spain

    Galerie Rudiger Schöttle, Munich, Germany; Ben Brown, London, UK

    Marstall des Furstlichen Schlosses, Regensburg, Germany

    Sonnabend Gallery, New York Goethe-Institut, New York

    Tschechische Botschaft, Berlin Wilhelmstrasse 44-Fotografien, Kunsthalle Kiel, Germany

  • 2003

    50th Venice Biennale, German Pavilion (with Martin Kippenberger), Venice, Italy

    Antiquariat Grundel Gelbert, Cologne, Germany

    Dresden Series and Other Works, Galleri K, Oslo, Norway

    Galeria Fucares, Madrid, Spain

    Galerie Rudiger Schottle, Munich, Germany

    Johnen + Schöttle, Cologne, Germany

    Magnani, London, UK

    Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Winston Wächter Fine Art, Seattle, Washington, DC, USA

    Zwölf Museumsräume, Kunsthalle Bremen, Germany

  • 2002

    Basel, Kunstforum Baloise, Basel, Switzerland

    Bibliotheksbilder, Schirmer/Mosel Showroom, Munich, Germany

    Die Welt des Wissens II, Museum fur Volkerkunde Dresden im Japanischen Palais, Dresden, Germany

    Galeria Fucares, Almagro, Spain

    Galerie Karlheinz Meyer, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Gundel Gelbert & Johnen + Schöttle, Antiquariat Gundel Gelbert, Cologne

    Hamburg Bilder 2000, Jenisch Haus, Hamburg, Germany

    Photographies récentes, Galerie Laage-Salomon, Paris, France

    Galerie Wilma Tolksdorf, Frankfurt, Germany

    Räume auf Zeit. Dresden, Albertinum, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Germany

    Wien - Los Angeles, Galerie Grita Insam, Vienna, Austria

    Zwölf, GeorgKolbe-Museum, Berlin, Germany

  • 2001

    Douze.Twelve, Musée des Beaux-Arts et de la Dentelles, Calais, France

    Galerie Hauser & Wirth & Presenhuber, Zürich, Switzerland

    Karyn Lovegrove Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Patrick De Brock, Knokke, Belgium

    Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Galerie Laage-Salomon, Paris, France

    Mildred S. Lee Gallery, Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA

    Galleri K, Oslo, Norway

    Sonnabend Gallery, New York, NY, USA

  • 2000

    DET KGL Bibliothek, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Kupferstichkabinett, Dresden, Germany

    Produzentengalerie, Hamburg, Germany

    Galerie Johnen & Schottle, Cologne, Germany

    Inside-Outside, Galería Fúcares, Madrid, Spain

    MODULO, Centro Difusor de Arte, Lisbon, Portugal

    Naturräume, Matuurmuseum Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Karyn Lovegrove, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Neue Fotoarbeiten, Galerie Rudiger Schottle, Munich, Germany; Palacio del Embarcadero, Santander, Spain

    Orte Jahre: Photographien 1968-1999, Kunsthalle Nurnberg, Nuremberg, Germany; Gregorio Magnani Gallery, London, UK

    Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Targeting images, objects + ideas, The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL, USA

    The Power Plant, Toronto, Canada

  • 1999

    Galerie Friedrich, Bern, Germany

    Karlheinz Meyer Galerie, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Leseräume, Kunsthalle Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    Goethe Institut, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Orte Jahre, Dia Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur, Cologne, Germany

    Patrick De Brock, Knokke, Belgium

    Photographie, Oldenburger Kunstverein, Oldenburg, Germany

  • 1998

    Centro de Fotografía, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain

    Galería Fúcares, Madrid, Spain

    Galerie Laage-Salomon, Paris, France

    Galerie Wilma Tolksdorf, Frankfurt, Germany

    Photographie, Kunstverein Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg, Germany

    Photographie, Kunstverein Recklinghausen, Recklinghausen, Germany

    Thirty Years Back, British Council, Cologne, Germany

  • 1997

    Bilder, Galerie Karlheinz Meyer, Karlsruhe (& Elke Denda), Germany

    Centre Photographique d’Ile de France (C.P.I.F.), Pontault-Combault, France

    Galerie Fotohof, Salzburg, Austria

    Galerie Johnen & Schöttle, Cologne, Germany

    Goether-Institut, Galerie Condé, Paris, France

    Kunstverein Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

  • 1996

    Bibliotheken, Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Cologne, Germany

    Galerie Fotomania, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Galerie Grita Insam, Vienna, Austria

    Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Robert Prime, London, UK

    Sonnabend Gallery, New York, NY, USA

  • 1995

    Galerie Rudiger Schottle, Munich, Germany

    Galleri Tommy Lund, Odense, Denmark

    Galerie Walcheturm, Zurich, Switzerland

  • 1994

    Anderson O'Day Gallery, London, UK

    Castello di Rivara, Turin, Italy

    Galerie d'Ecole des Beaux-arts, Valenciennes, France

    Galerie Johnen & Schottle, Cologne, Germany

    Galerie Karl Heinz Meyer, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Aachen, Germany

    Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery, New York, NY, USA

  • 1993

    f-Stop Gallery, Bath, UK

    Galerie Walcheturm, Zurich, Switzerland

    Photographie - Offentliche Innenraume, Leonhardi-Museum, Dresden, Germany

    Zoologische Garten, Hamburger Kunstalle, Hamburg

    Galerie Wilma Tolksorf, Hamburg, Germany

  • 1992

    Galerie Johnen & Schottle, Cologne, Germany

    Galerie Grita Insam, Vienna, Austria

    Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery, New York, NY, USA

    Photographie, Hagener Kunstverein, Hagen, Germany

    Raume, Stadische Galerie Haus Seel, Siegen, Germany

    Raume/Spaces, Portikus, Frankfurt, Germany

  • 1991

    Galerie Walcheturm, Zurich, Switzerland

  • 1990

    Galerie Franz Paludetto, Turin, Italy

    Galerie Wilma Tolksdorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Galerie Ruediger Schottle, Munich, Germany

    Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery, New York, NY, USA

  • 1989

    Fotografien, Kunstverein Bremerhaven, Germany

    Galerie Wilma Tolksdorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Galerie Faust, Geneva, Switzerland

    Galerie Westersingel 8, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

  • 1988

    Galerie Johnen & Schottle, Cologne, Germany

  • 1985

    Raume, Galerie Rudiger Schottle, Munich, Germany

  • 1984

    Innenraum, Fotografien 1979-1984, Regionalmuseum Xanten, Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Bonn, Germany

  • 1982

    Offentliche Innenraume 1979-1982, Fotografische Sammlung, Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany

  • 1979

    Galerie Arno Kohnen, Dusseldorf, Germany

  • 1975

    Galerie Konrad Fischer, Dusseldorf, Germany

Selected images