Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein and Hilti Art Foundation present Candida Höfer: Liechtenstein

September 30, 2022–April 10, 2023

In Liechtenstein, Candida Höfer has produced a fresh batch of artwork. It serves as the focal point and introduction of the first exhibition planned jointly by the Hilti Art Foundation and Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein. In the fall and winter of 2021, Höfer took the 20 images specifically for the exhibition. The series is a reflection of the artist’s continual investigation of architectural and cultural scenes. Höfer and the collections of both institutions engage in a discourse that is mutually enriching alongside chosen works from classical modernism to the present.

The well-known artist (born 1944 in Eberswalde, Germany), a member of the Düsseldorf “Becher School,” has already produced a number of site-specific sets of pictures, such as in Brussels and Düsseldorf. The curators of the exhibition explain how the images taken in Liechtenstein continue this tradition:

“Inspired by the architecture of the museum, Höfer has developed this series of works in and for Liechtenstein. Shot at different locations, the spaces depicted serve cultural purposes in the narrow and broad senses. Höfer focuses on the infrastructure of art, not only presenting outdoor situations but also storage areas, luminous ceilings, goods lifts and staircases. After all, what would a museum collection be without storage or an exhibition without lighting? She also photographed the off-premises store of the National Library of Liechtenstein. Her mode of looking allows us to experience places and spaces afresh and to perceive them more consciously. Höfer’s photographs set the tone for us, as curators. They are the starting point and the inspiration for dialogues with both collections, which offer a wealth of fascinating and astonishing affinities.” —Christiane Meyer-Stoll, Letizia Ragaglia and Uwe Wieczorek

Höfer’s photographic work is distinguished by an objective, sober visual language, a strong interest in structures and the arrangement of space, and an extraordinary attention to detail. Without utilizing any spotlights, she uses the natural light that is present in the various rooms and settings to create her photos, which frequently necessitates lengthy exposure times. Snapshots are the antithesis of Höfer’s images, which are meticulously planned and performed. Even if most of the artist’s photographed settings are desolate, the subject matter speaks of human presence and impact. Her most recent works also reflect an increase in abstraction, where color, surface, and form—as well as their dissolution—gain significance.

Candida Höfer: Liechtenstein will be the first exhibition to occupy the entire 1600 square meters of the three exhibition spaces at the Hilti Art Foundation, as well as the four skylight galleries of the Kunstmuseum.

With almost sixty pieces of art from the two collections, Höfer’s images are placed side by side in an unrestrained conversation. The curatorial Team’s decision-making process begins with the artist’s works; one single piece or series of pictures establishes the topic for each of the seven exhibition spaces. The grey color of the walls draws attention to this feature. Höfer’s photographic output can engage in a dialogue with works from various genres from more than a century of art by permitting vast, atmospheric associative fields.

Conversely, the unfamiliar contexts allow visitors to experience the broad range of her photographs from a fresh perspective.

A production of Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein and the Hilti Art Foundation curated by Christiane Meyer-Stoll, Letizia Ragaglia and Uwe Wieczorek.

Exhibiting artists
Saâdane Afif, Josef Albers, Polly Apfelbaum, Joseph Beuys, Umberto Boccioni, Bill Bollinger, Nina Canell, Andreas Christen, Gianni Colombo, Edith Dekyndt, Latifa Echakhch, Luciano Fabro, Helmut Federle, Dan Flavin, Lucio Fontana, Günter Fruhtrunk, Gerhard von Graevenitz, Gotthard Graubner, Donald Judd, Kerstin Kartscher, Konrad Klapheck, Julije Knifer, Imi Knoebel, Anna Kołodziejska, Gary Kuehn, Fernand Léger, Barry Le Va, Verena Loewensberg, René Magritte, Kasimir Malewitsch, Rita McBride, Piet Mondrian, François Morellet, Charlotte Moth, Bruce Nauman, Giulio Paolini, Steven Parrino, Dan Peterman, Emilio Prini, Pamela Rosenkranz, Fred Sandback, Keith Sonnier, Yves Tanguy, André Thomkins, Rosemarie Trockel, Gilberto Zorio.

The exhibition is accompanied by a publication featuring numerous illustrations and a literary adaptation of a production diary documenting the process of creating the exhibition.

Höfer has created two editions for Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein to accompany the exhibition.

Free Wednesday! Admission to Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein and Hilti Art Foundation is free every Wednesday.

Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein
with Hilti Art Foundation
Städtle 32
FL-9490 Vaduz
Liechtenstein
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 10am–5pm,
Thursday 10am–8pm

T +423 235 0300
[email protected]