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700 Bunkers in more than 40 Western German Cities.
As both, an artist’s book and an archive book, this publication, 'Bunker. 1984-89', also introduces an important and poignant theme of German history.
On show are the most diverse types of bunkers, built in particular during World War II between 1940 and 1944, looked at in the period between 1984 and 1989 by artist and photographer Boris BECKER.
When he began his documentary project, the Cold War period was almost over, and the concrete buildings were no longer needed for civil defense purposes. Even more so than in the past, they appeared like outlandish and seemingly uncanny monsters within the cityscapes. Their function seemed out of date, and no rational-minded person wanted anything to do with the murderous ideology that had brought these buildings to light. 'Nie wieder Krieg!' (engl.: no more war!), those are the words of a graffiti on one of the bunkers taken by Boris BECKER.
When looking at his factually registering photographic documents, we not only encounter unusually monstrous concrete buildings, but this specific topic also informs us about the extent of these construction activities during World War II. Boris BECKER has photographed around 700 bunkers in more than 40 cities in Western German.
Boris BECKER based the series of works of the overground bunkers, so-called Hochbunker, on a method similar to the conceptual approach by artist couple Bernd and Hilla BECHER.
The comparability of the images is just as intentional as a neutral perspective and a detailed and authentic-adequate representation of the building. The volume at hand allows an exemplary look at a theme that was worked out in the circle of the so-called 'Becher School' and for Boris BECKER represented a significant starting point for his further work with the medium of photography.
He has since focused on architecture, landscape, objects and still lifes as subjects of his attention, as well as the complex question of the reality beyond what is visually perceptible." (publisher's note, © Snoeck, 2019)
Exhibition:
Die Photographische Sammlung/ SK Stiftung Kultur, Köln, and Saarlandmuseum – Moderne Galerie, Saarbrücken, 6/9/2019 – 9/2/2020
As both, an artist’s book and an archive book, this publication, 'Bunker. 1984-89', also introduces an important and poignant theme of German history.
On show are the most diverse types of bunkers, built in particular during World War II between 1940 and 1944, looked at in the period between 1984 and 1989 by artist and photographer Boris BECKER.
When he began his documentary project, the Cold War period was almost over, and the concrete buildings were no longer needed for civil defense purposes. Even more so than in the past, they appeared like outlandish and seemingly uncanny monsters within the cityscapes. Their function seemed out of date, and no rational-minded person wanted anything to do with the murderous ideology that had brought these buildings to light. 'Nie wieder Krieg!' (engl.: no more war!), those are the words of a graffiti on one of the bunkers taken by Boris BECKER.
When looking at his factually registering photographic documents, we not only encounter unusually monstrous concrete buildings, but this specific topic also informs us about the extent of these construction activities during World War II. Boris BECKER has photographed around 700 bunkers in more than 40 cities in Western German.
Boris BECKER based the series of works of the overground bunkers, so-called Hochbunker, on a method similar to the conceptual approach by artist couple Bernd and Hilla BECHER.
The comparability of the images is just as intentional as a neutral perspective and a detailed and authentic-adequate representation of the building. The volume at hand allows an exemplary look at a theme that was worked out in the circle of the so-called 'Becher School' and for Boris BECKER represented a significant starting point for his further work with the medium of photography.
He has since focused on architecture, landscape, objects and still lifes as subjects of his attention, as well as the complex question of the reality beyond what is visually perceptible." (publisher's note, © Snoeck, 2019)
Exhibition:
Die Photographische Sammlung/ SK Stiftung Kultur, Köln, and Saarlandmuseum – Moderne Galerie, Saarbrücken, 6/9/2019 – 9/2/2020
- Photographer(s)
- Boris BECKER, GER
- Ed(s)/Author(s)
- Roland Augustin, Marcel Beyer, Gabriele Conrath-Scholl
- Format
- HC (no dust jacket, as issued), 27,5 x 22,5 x 3 cm, 352 pp., 850 duotone b/w ills. & 45 color ills.
- Language(s)
- multi-lingual texts: German, French & English
- Year of Release
- 2019
- Publisher
- Walther Koenig, Cologne
- Print run details
- 1st print run