Urban Archeology

von 14.01.1999 bis 27.02.1999
Zimmerstraße
Berlin, 1997
Cibachrom
 

Large-format color photographs taken in Dresden by the French photographer Stéphane Couturier at the invitation of that city´s French Cultural Institute are the central feature of the Fotohof´s first exhibit in 1999. The Dresden photographs are complemented by works created in Paris and Berlin.

Like an anatomist, Stéphane Couturier prepares his architectural (cross) sections of city spaces which are exposed to a state of complex change -both structural and cultural. This visual language - a sythesis of objective documentation and theathrical staging - creates visual spaces which are reminiscent of stage settings.

"The photographs by Stéphane Couturier can create the illusion of being a collage - as if two different space dimensions from two different photographs were pasted on top of each other. On the bottom, one sees the internal organs of the urban body: foundations, networks and pipe systems. Above, one sees inhabited or vacant buildings or abandoned and single houses. The photographers talent becomes evcident in his ability to capture the intersection of these layers and their complete fusion in the same time and space structure, even if these appearances are deceptive." (Paul-Hervé Parsy, chief curator of the Museum of Modern Art, Strasbourg, in the exhibition catalog). Catalog of the exhibition, 42 pages, 23 color photographs, with a text by Paul-Hervé Parsy. ATS 180.- U$ 15.- For orders send a fax (+43-662-849296-4) or an e-mail (fotohof@salzburg.co.at).