Andreas Gursky (English, German)

Andreas Gursky (*1955 in Leipzig) is one of the most important artists in the world to use large-format photographs as a means of expression. The Düsseldorf-based photographer is especially interested in congregations of people and the sites of their gatherings, ranging from the Tokyo Stock Exchange to mass raves. The realistic appearance of Andreas Gursky’s final images—the elements of which are adeptly reduced and digitally restructured—also allow for conceptual interpretation; they are always based on the interplay between accurate reproduction and abstraction. This opulent publication focuses on the artist’s most recent creations, which is on display at the Kunstmuseum Basel. Two new groups of works in particular, reflecting on Formula One races and the famous Arirang Festival, a meticulously choreographed mass spectacle in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, will be shown alongside the landscapes.