Paris Photo 2023

ASPECTS OF ABSTRACTION

In our eleventh PARIS PHOTO presentation, the selection of works shown focuses on abstract photography in its heterogeneous manifestations. Be it through proximity, distance, overexposure, blurring, chemistry, camera-lessness or other imaging processes, central is the claim to explore the photographic medium, to de-limit and re-adjust it.

For the first time at PARIS PHOTO, we are presenting photographic works by the French minimalist Bernar Venet. In addition, we are showing works by three former students of Otto Steinert who themselves became influential teachers: Kilian Breier, Detlef Orlopp and Timm Rautert. Finally, with "Indociles" we present the latest series by the Swiss artist Yann Mingard.

In contrast to the figurative photography of the real, which took up a lot of space in the decades after the war, there was a stronger formalist and concrete photography. Drawing on the experimental photography of the historical avant-gardes, the possibilities and limits of photographic abstraction were explored anew. This trend was stimulated by several international movements, but especially by the two German currents, Subjective Photography and Generative Photography.