Candida Höfer - Teatro Degollado Guadalajara III

Candida Höfer’s Teatro Degollado Guadalajara III is a stunning limited edition photograph that captures the grand interior of the historic Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara, Mexico, with meticulous detail and symmetry. The photo edition showcases the opulent architecture, from the ornate balconies to the rich textures of the seating and stage, all bathed in soft, natural light. Höfer’s composition emphasizes the theater’s majestic scale and quiet grandeur, inviting viewers to reflect on the beauty of cultural spaces and the atmosphere of stillness in the absence of people.

“I photograph in public and semi-public spaces that date from various epochs. These are spaces accessible to everyone. They are places where you can meet and communicate, where you can share or receive knowledge, where you can relax and recover. They are spas, hotels, waiting rooms, museums, libraries, universities, banks, churches and, as of a few years ago, zoos. All of the places have a purpose, as for the most part do the things within them.” – Candida Höfer

Candida Höfer, born in 1944 in Eberswalde, is a distinguished German photographer who studied under Bernd and Hilla Becher at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Höfer’s artwork is renowned for its technical precision and deeply conceptual nature, focusing on the dynamics of space—how we shape it and are shaped by it in turn. Her art primarily consists of meticulously composed photographs that investigate the architecture of public spaces such as churches, zoos, opera houses, libraries, and museums. Candida Höfer is known for presenting her photographs on a grand scale, a signature aspect of her art that enhances the visual and emotional impact of her artworks. These large-format prints invite viewers to engage with the spaces depicted, highlighting the interplay between architectural form and the invisible presence of those who inhabit these spaces. By choosing to exclude people from her photographs, Höfer amplifies the sense of absence and loss, exploring what remains in the wake of human presence. She believes that the essence of how spaces function and affect us becomes more evident when they are empty, noting that “it became apparent to me that what people do in these spaces—and what these spaces do to them—is clearer when no one is present, just as an absent guest is often the subject of a conversation.” This intentional absence allows viewers to contemplate the roles of the unseen occupants and draws attention to the detailed architectural elements within her photos. Through her photographic prints, Candida Höfer invites a contemplative look at the silent eloquence of spaces, making her a significant figure in contemporary photography.