After a six-year absence, Candida Höfer has once again brought bright and tranquil visual enjoyment to Matthew Liu Fine Arts. This solo exhibition aims to show Asian audiences examples of Candida Höfer's approach to the character of spaces both in terms of region and time, encompassing Europe before and after 1900, as well as spaces in Mexico and Argentina that were influenced by European styles at the time. In addition, the audience is invited to have a look at Ms. Höfer's more recent and slightly more abstract works which she continues to make in parallel to her large spaces. 

 

Candida Höfer, a contemporary German photographer born in 1944, began working as a newspaper photographer at the age of 24 and produced a series of portraits of Liverpool poets. From 1973 to 1982 she studied film at the Dusseldorf Art Academy before turning to photography and becoming one of the favourite pupils of the famous German concept photographers Bernd and Hilla Becher. Höfer had previously photographed Turks working in Germany to see how Turks affected the German way of life. Through her observation, she found that Turks in Germany changed their living space and gradually created a new style due to their national views and demands for beauty. This experience also led to Höfer's interest in photographing architectural spaces. 

 

Höfer's work is known for its high level of light mastery and strict control of photographic techniques. All of the spaces -- churches, museums, cultural centres, palaces, mansions etc are of great value. In Höfer's view, the visual impact of public space is strongest when there is no one in the picture. She also tries to analyze the form and structure of the space through her work. She is also very interested in the historical changes of the space itself, because the original intention of building is often contrary to the practical use. The works chosen - including the smaller abstract ones - show how the character of a space is made up by a balance of light, color and structure. Höfer was particularly concerned with the presentation of light, so she never used a flash, and at long exposures she was particularly concerned with the space within the scope of the lens to reflect the flash that the naked eye could perceive. After she decided to exclude people from her photos, Ms. Höfer said, "I am well aware that what people do in these Spaces, and how these spaces affect them, is much clearer when no one is present, as an absent guest is often the subject of conversation." The spaces are shown without people to show more clearly what spaces intend to do for people but also how people form spaces to meet their expectations of space. Through these traces of time, Höfer's meticulous work creates a deep and empathetic atmosphere of bright clarity. 

 

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