About Candida Höfer

Candida Höfer (born 1944 in Eberswalde, Germany) is a celebrated contemporary photographer known for her monumental large-scale prints that capture the architecture of public spaces with striking precision and clarity. A student of Bernd and Hilla Becher at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, she emerged as part of the renowned Düsseldorf School of Photography, a movement that shaped late 20th-century and early 21st-century photography. Her works are internationally recognized for their conceptual depth and technical mastery, exploring the dynamics of space, memory, and human presence through absence.

Höfer’s art focuses on cultural and institutional architecture, meticulously documenting spaces such as libraries, opera houses, churches, museums, and zoological gardens. Presented on a grand scale, her photographic prints emphasize architectural form, symmetry, and atmosphere, encouraging viewers to consider how built environments shape collective experience. By intentionally excluding people, Höfer amplifies the resonance of emptiness, inviting reflection on the traces of human activity that linger in these spaces.

Her approach is deeply contemplative, often described as capturing the “soul” of architecture. Höfer has explained that the absence of people makes the role of space clearer, just as an absent guest can dominate a conversation. This perspective transforms her photographs into more than architectural studies—they become meditations on cultural memory, social structures, and the unseen interactions between individuals and their environments.

Through her large-format photographic prints, Candida Höfer has established herself as a leading figure in contemporary photography. Her works are held in major museum collections worldwide and remain highly sought after by collectors. By combining technical rigor with conceptual insight, Höfer creates artworks that transform ordinary public spaces into timeless reflections on history, culture, and the human condition.

Notable exhibitions

Candida Höfer’s photography has been featured in major institutional exhibitions around the world, affirming her role as a leading figure in contemporary art. She represented Germany at the Venice Biennale in 2003, presenting large-format prints that highlighted her mastery of architectural photography on an international stage.

Her work has been the subject of important retrospectives at renowned institutions, including the Museum Folkwang in Essen, the Kunsthalle Basel, and the Hamburger Kunsthalle. In 2013, the Louvre in Paris staged Candida Höfer: Projects: Done, a landmark exhibition that emphasized her long-standing engagement with cultural and architectural spaces.

Additional solo exhibitions have been held at the Kunstmuseum Luzern, the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin, and the North Carolina Museum of Art, reflecting her global recognition. Her photographic prints are also represented in major museum collections, including Tate Modern in London, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

These exhibitions and institutional holdings highlight Candida Höfer’s significance as a contemporary photographer, showcasing her ability to transform empty architectural spaces into meditative reflections on culture, history, and human presence.