Wolfang Tillmans

WOLFGANG TILLMANS (Germany, 1968).
"Anders Monalisa", 2004.
C-print, photography. Copy 1/10.
Framed work with museum glass.
Presents label on the back of the Juana de Aizpuru Gallery (Madrid).
Signed, dated and justified on the back.
Measurements: 40 x 30 cm; 45 x 35 cm (frame).
Wolfgang Tillmans is a photographer and visual artist who lives and works between Berlin and London. His work is characterized by a meticulous observation of his environment and a continuous research on the technical, aesthetic and conceptual foundations of photography. In 2000, he became the first non-British photographer to receive the prestigious Turner Prize, thus consolidating his international relevance.
From his school years he showed an early interest in photography, graphic design and visual culture. His contact with the work of artists such as Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol marked his early artistic influences. During a stay in England in the 1980s, he discovered British youth culture, fashion and music publications, which greatly influenced his approach.
Between 1987 and 1990 he lived in Hamburg, where he presented his first solo exhibitions and began to document the emerging rave scene. His spontaneous portraits of young people, particularly musicians, began to be published in magazines such as i-D, Tempo, Spex and Prinz, cementing his reputation as a visual chronicler of his generation. He later studied at Bournemouth & Poole College of Art and Design and lived in cities such as London and New York.
Tillmans has combined his artistic practice with teaching and cultural management. He has taught at various European institutions and founded Between Bridges in 2006, a non-commercial exhibition space focused on political and engaged art, with venues in both London and Berlin. Since 2017, Between Bridges has also operated as a foundation dedicated to the promotion of humanism, solidarity, LGTBIQ+ rights and the defense of democracy.
Throughout his career he has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Kulturpreis of the German Society of Photography, the Bundesverdienstkreuz, the Hasselblad Award and the Kaiserring of Goslar. He is a member of the Berlin Academy of the Arts and the Royal Academy of Arts in London, and has chaired the board of the ICA London since 2019.