Candida Höfer. Käthe Kollwitz Prize 2024

With this prize, the Academy of Arts is honoring one of the world's most recognized German photographers. Candida Höfer's oeuvre, which has grown over five decades, is part of the contemporary photographic avant-garde. Her large-format works show public and semi-public spaces in prominent historical libraries, museums or opera houses - places of encounter, communication, memory and knowledge, but also relaxation and recreation. The artist herself describes her work not as architectural photographs, but as portraits of spaces.

The prize will be awarded to the artist on September 13, 2024 by Academy President Manos Tsangaris, with the laudation being given by Matthias Sauerbruch, member of the Architecture section.

Candida Höfer, born in Eberswalde in 1944, lives in Cologne. After an internship, her first studies with Arno Jansen at the Cologne Werkschulen and photographic practice in Hamburg, Ole John accepted her into the film class at the Düsseldorf Art Academy in 1973, after which she switched to Bernd Becher. In 2002 she exhibited at documenta11 in Kassel, and in 2003 she represented Germany at the 50th Venice Biennale, alongside Martin Kippenberger [posthumously].

In 2015 she received the Cologne Fine Art Prize, in 2018 the “Outstanding Contribution to Photography” award from the Sony World Photography Awards, and in 2020 the “Hommage” award from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Her works are in numerous public and private collections in Germany and abroad.

The prize, exhibition and accompanying publication have been co-financed for 30 years by the Kreissparkasse Köln, sponsor of the Käthe Kollwitz Museum Cologne.

As part of Berlin Art Week

(PROGRAM IN GERMAN)