Bernd & Hilla Becher: gas holder anthem

(© Hilla Becher, 2013)

Bernd and Hilla Becher are arguably the most famous photographers duo in the world. Until Bernd Becher’s death in 2007, the couple worked on the documentation of industrial heritage. Blast furnaces, cooling towers, elevator shafts, and gas holders were all photographed in exactly the same way. Head-on, without any shadows or human activity, the constructions austerely rise above us, sharply outlined against clear skies. The almost mathematical precision with which these constructions were documented in black-and-white images, has become the (extremely influential) hallmark of the Bechers. Fondation A Stichting is not only showing photos of the duo, but is also emphasising the way the Bechers presented their body of work, and does so through a series of printed works and publications. Despite their stark documentary approach, the Bechers knew how to stir emotions and uncover the unintentional beauty of the constructions that are at the heart of their work.

BERND & HILLA BECHER: IMPRIMÉS 1964-2013 > 15/12, do/je/Th > zo/di/Su 13 > 18.00 & na afspraak/sur rendez-vous/by appointment, Fondation A Stichting, avenue Van Volxemlaan 304, Vorst/Forest, 02-502.38.78, www.fondationastichting.be