This exhibition of the renowned German photographer Thomas Struth (b. 1954), presents a comprehensive survey of his genre-defining oeuvre. Covering four decades of work and every phase of his career, the exhibition focuses on Struth's social interests, which represent the important forces of his influential artistic development. Comprised of more than 130 works, this exhibition is the largest survey of his artistic career to date. It brings together never-before-shown early works and collected research material drawn from his archive; these, elucidate the far-reaching and long-standing ideas behind the works and demonstrate the process of his artistic translation up to the perfection of the image.

The survey links these early ideas to well-known work groups such as "Straßen" [Streets], "Unbewusste Orte" [Unconscious Places], "Portraits", "Museumsbilder" [Museum Pictures], "Paradise", and "Audiences." These are placed in dialogue with the slide projection Nachtprojekt [Night Project] produced for Skulptur Projekte Münster in 1987, as well as video portraits and other video projections, the recent photographic series from "Nature & Politics," and site-specific works such as Löwenzahnzimmer [Dandelion Room], the landscape and flower photographs created for hospital rooms in Winterthur, Switzerland. This interplay highlights the artist’s ability to combine analysis and pictorial invention in multifaceted works and techniques that result in overarching and powerful photographic images.

The exhibition is curated by Thomas Weski and organized by Haus der Kunst.

"Thomas Struth: Figure Ground" is made possible by exclusive and major funding from the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung, Munich.

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Thomas Struth: Figure Ground(KNGoNv1_NuM)
Har Homa, Ostjerusalem 2009 Inkjet print 148,6 x 184,8 cm © Thomas Struth
Har Homa, Ostjerusalem 2009 Inkjet print 148,6 x 184,8 cm © Thomas Struth
National Gallery 2, London 2001 Chromogenic print 148,0 x 170,4 cm © Thomas Struth
National Gallery 2, London 2001 Chromogenic print 148,0 x 170,4 cm © Thomas Struth
Wangfujing Dong Lu, Shanghai 1997 Chromogenic print 117,5 x 143,6 cm © Thomas Struth
Wangfujing Dong Lu, Shanghai 1997 Chromogenic print 117,5 x 143,6 cm © Thomas Struth
National Gallery 1, London 1989 Chromogen print 180,0 x 196,0 cm © Thomas Struth
National Gallery 1, London 1989 Chromogen print 180,0 x 196,0 cm © Thomas Struth
Crosby Street, Soho, New York 1978 Silver gelatin print 66,0 x 84,0 cm © Thomas Struth
Crosby Street, Soho, New York 1978 Silver gelatin print 66,0 x 84,0 cm © Thomas Struth
Rue de Beaugrenelle, Beaugrenelle, Paris 1979 Silver gelatin print 66,0 x 84,0 cm © Thomas Struth
Rue de Beaugrenelle, Beaugrenelle, Paris 1979 Silver gelatin print 66,0 x 84,0 cm © Thomas Struth
Kyoko und Tomoharu Murakami, Tokio, 1991 Chromogenic print 105,5 x 126,0 cm © Thomas Struth
Kyoko und Tomoharu Murakami, Tokio, 1991 Chromogenic print 105,5 x 126,0 cm © Thomas Struth
Audience 11, Florenz 2004 Chromogenic print 179,5 x 291,5 cm © Thomas Struth
Audience 11, Florenz 2004 Chromogenic print 179,5 x 291,5 cm © Thomas Struth
Tokamak Asdex Upgrade Periphery, Max Planck IPP, Garching 2009 Chromogenic print 109,3 x 85,8 cm © Thomas Struth
Tokamak Asdex Upgrade Periphery, Max Planck IPP, Garching 2009 Chromogenic print 109,3 x 85,8 cm © Thomas Struth
Helle Sonnenblume – N° 1, Winterthur 1991 Chromogenic print 84,0 x 66,0 cm © Thomas Struth
Helle Sonnenblume – N° 1, Winterthur 1991 Chromogenic print 84,0 x 66,0 cm © Thomas Struth
Thomas Struth: Figure Ground Haus der Kunst 2017 Photo: Andréas Lang
Thomas Struth: Figure Ground Haus der Kunst 2017 Photo: Andréas Lang
Thomas Struth, Figure Ground Haus der Kunst 2017 Installation view Photo: Maximilian Geuter
Thomas Struth, Figure Ground Haus der Kunst 2017 Installation view Photo: Maximilian Geuter
Thomas Struth, Figure Ground Haus der Kunst 2017 Installation view Photo: Maximilian Geuter
Thomas Struth, Figure Ground Haus der Kunst 2017 Installation view Photo: Maximilian Geuter
Thomas Struth, Figure Ground Haus der Kunst 2017 Installation view Photo: Maximilian Geuter
Thomas Struth, Figure Ground Haus der Kunst 2017 Installation view Photo: Maximilian Geuter
Thomas Struth, Figure Ground Haus der Kunst 2017 Installation view Photo: Maximilian Geuter
Thomas Struth, Figure Ground Haus der Kunst 2017 Installation view Photo: Maximilian Geuter