Bernd & Hilla Becher

Published by Prestel in 2020, this monograph serves as a comprehensive examination of the life and work of Bernd and Hilla Becher, the influential German conceptual artists known for their systematic photographic documentation of industrial structures. The book arrives as part of a critical reassessment of their legacy, capturing the couple’s methodical approach to capturing cooling towers, gas tanks, and blast furnaces as anonymous sculptures. It situates their work within the broader context of the Düsseldorf School of Photography, highlighting how their disciplined, serial style helped bridge the gap between documentary photography and fine art.

The volume features scholarly analysis by art historian Thierry de Duve, who explores the intellectual framework behind the Bechers’ project. De Duve focuses on the artists' insistence on objective, deadpan presentation—often referred to as 'typologies'—and the rigorous consistency of their aesthetic over four decades. The book is designed to be as much an archival resource as a survey, providing readers with a deep dive into the technical and philosophical rigor that earned the Bechers international acclaim and, ultimately, the Erasmus Prize for their foundational impact on modern photography.