PHOTO:Wolfgang Tillmans-2017
Wolfgang Tillmans has earned recognition as one of the most exciting and innovative artists working today. First rising to prominence in the ‘90s for his photographs of everyday life and contemporary culture, Tillmans has gone on to work in an ever greater variety of media and has taken an increasingly innovative approach to staging exhibitions. In 2000, he was the first photographer and first non-British artist to receive the Turner Prize.
By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Tate Modern Archive
“2017” Wolfgang Tillmans’ solo exhibition at Tate Modern, takes as its point of departure the year 2003 that represents for the artist the moment the world changed, with the invasion of Iraq and anti-war demonstrations. The social and political form a rich vein throughout the artist’s work.The destabilization of the world has arisen as a recurring concern for the artist since 2003, tabletop installations such as “Truth study center” (2005- ) highlight Tillmans’ continued interest in world events and how they are communicated in the media. Through the assembly of printed matter from pamphlets to newspaper cuttings to his own works on paper, Tillmans stimulates a personal response to a range of global issues. The exhibition highlights the artist’s deeper engagement with abstraction, beginning with the important work “Sendeschluss / End of Broadcast I” (2014). Based on images the artist took of an analogue TV losing signal, this work combines two opposing technologies, the digital and the analogue. Other works such as the series “Blushes” (2000- ), made without a camera by manipulating the effects of light directly on photographic paper, will show how the artist’s work with abstraction continues to push the boundaries and definitions of the photographic form. In the exhibition are included portraiture, landscape and still lives. A nightclub scene might record the joy of a safe social space for people to be themselves, while large-scale images of the sea such as “La Palma” (2014) or “The State We’re In, A” (2015) document places where borders intersect and margins are ever shifting. At the same time, intimate portraits like “Collum” (2011) focus on the delicacy, fragility and beauty of the human body. In 2009, Tillmans began using digital photography and was struck by the expanded opportunities the technology offered him. He began to travel more extensively, photographing people and places across the world. Works from the series “Neue Welt” (2009-12) capture images of the commonplace and the extraordinary. The importance of Tillmans’ interdisciplinary practice is showcased throughout the exhibition. His ”Playback Room” project, first shown at his Berlin exhibition space Between Bridges, provides a space within the museum for visitors to experience popular music at the best possible quality. The video installation “Instrument” (2015) shows Tillmans dancing to a soundtrack made by manipulating the sound of his own footsteps, while in the Tanks Studio his slide projection ”Book for Architects” (2014) is screened. Featuring 37 countries and 5continents, it reveals the tension between architectural form and function. In March, Tillmans will also take over Tate Modern’s South Tank for ten days with a specially-commissioned installation featuring live music events.
Info: Curators: Chris Dercon, Helen Sainsbury and Emma Lewis, Tate Modern, Bankside, London, Duration: 15/2-11/6/17, Days & hours: Sun-Thu 10:00-18:00, Fri-Sat 10:00-22:00, www.tate.org.uk
