Galerie Buchkunst Berlin: impressive photographs by Michael Wolf

About the exhibition at Galerie Buchkunst Berlin

On Thursday, 11 May 2023, the exhibition "Architecture of Density Scouts" was opened at Galerie Buchkunst Berlin by curator Ingo Taubhorn. The exhibition looks at Hong Kong's urban development, which has been captured for more than two decades by photographer Michael Wolf.

The numerous photographs were presented in magnetic frames from HALBE. The exhibition was originally scheduled to be open to the public from 11 May to 22 July - but Galerie Buchkunst Berlin has now extended the exhibition period until 17 September 2023.

The unique collection of Michael Wolf's visual sketches, also known as Scouts, is the result of his famous long-term photographic study for the "Architecture of Density" series.

For over two decades, Michael Wolf has captured life in Hong Kong's densely populated neighbourhoods by photographing the impressive high-rise architecture. His photographs offer an abstract view of the dizzying and seemingly endless facades of the metropolis.

Both "Architecture of Density" and "Architecture of Density Scouts" are characterised by a striking style. Her photographs focus exclusively on the imposing skyscrapers.

Without a horizon or streets, the buildings are transformed into an impenetrable block from which there is no escape for the viewer. The photographs not only document the facades and architecture of the tower blocks, but also provide a special insight into the living conditions of the inhabitants.

The exhibition at Galerie Buchkunst Berlin celebrates not only the photographs, but also the photo book carrying the same title, "Architecture of Density Hong Kong - Michael Wolf". The book and the photographs published in it have achieved cult status since its first publication. In keeping with the exhibition, the book is to receive a new edition: this time additionally with nine unpublished images from the photographer's archive.

About the photographer Michael Wolf

Michael Wolf was a renowned German-American photographer. He was born in Munich in 1954, but grew up in the USA, Canada and Europe. He also initially studied at the University of California, Berkeley, before eventually returning to the country of his birth to study photography with Otto Steinert at the Folkwang University in Essen.

A few years after completing his studies, Wolf travelled to Hong Kong for the German weekly magazine Stern, where he lived for several years and worked as a photojournalist. From 2001, Wolf decided to realise his own projects, the majority of which dealt with the life, architecture and culture of international metropolises such as Hong Kong, Paris, Chicago and Tokyo.

He has published his photographs in more than 13 photo books and his work has been exhibited in numerous renowned galleries. Wolf has been honoured several times for his impressive photographs, including twice with first place in the World Press Photo Awards.

Sadly, Wolf passed away in 2019 in his adopted home of Hong Kong at his home on Cheung Chau Island, where he had lived with his wife Barbara Wolf since 1994.

His impressive works can still be found today in numerous museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Brooklyn Museum as well as the San Jose Museum of Art in California, the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, the Folkwang Museum in Essen and the Deutsches Architekturmuseum in Frankfurt.

HALBE picture frames in action

Wolf's unique works, which are currently on display at the Galerie Buchkunst Berlin, were framed in picture frames</a by HALBE. CLASSIC magnetic frames with the Alu 8 profile in the colour black matt were used. These were combined with matt/glossy white glass. The frames were ordered in different formats: All were individually adapted to the respective exhibit.

The black frames in combination with a white mount give the works the perfect stage without drawing too much attention to themselves. The advantage of the simple frames is that they are versatile and can be combined with almost any colour palette.

This thoughtful choice of frames makes it possible to give Michael Wolf's diverse photographs a "common frame" despite their diversity.