"In sum, these individuals portrayed by Frank Höhler at their place of work then form a commonality, a third portrait, so to speak: that of a very specific artistic environment that had developed from the special conditions of the time."
(Jens Bove and Simone Fleischer)
Most of the people portrayed belong to a similar generation to the photographer: born and raised in the GDR, socialised in an environment where (artistic) creativity did not stop at the boundaries of one's own profession, but developed in a lively exchange with the work of others. In retrospect, this cycle of works clearly reflects the network of the East German art and cultural scene - with a focus on Dresden and the surrounding area - in which Höhler operates. The series will be continued; the book accompanying the exhibition contains all 108 portraits taken to date, and we were able to show 63 of them in the exhibition.
Höhler also responded to the Leonhardi Hall of the museum with nine photographs from the "Forest" series, and with "Structures" we showed 16 of his photographs of industry and architectural details.
The exhibition and publication are the result of a co-operation between the Deutsche Fotothek and the Leonhardi Museum. The book FRANK HÖHLER - FACE TO FACE, the fifth volume in the "archiv der fotografen" series initiated by Dr Jens Bove, was published by Verlag der Kunst Dresden.
Dr Jens Bove, Director of the Deutsche Fotothek, spoke at the opening on 21 April 2023.
