Bernd (1931–2007) and Hilla Becher (1934–2015) are considered the most influential German photographers of the post-war period. Over the past 50 years, the couple and artist duo captured the aesthetic of disappearing industrial facilities, often making the overlooked structures visible to viewers for the first time. Their strict adherence to particular formal principles and their typological approach gave rise to the idea of photography as conceptual art. The Bechers taught at the Kunstakademie Dusseldorf and shaped the work of an entire generation of photographers, including Andreas Gursky, Thomas Ruff, Candida Höfer and Thomas Struth. Sprüth Magers represents the artist couple’s Estate.
© Estate Bernd & Hilla Becher, represented by Max Becher, courtesy Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur – Bernd und Hilla Becher Archiv
Bernd & Hilla Becher
History of a Method
Fondazione MAST, Bologna
Through September 27, 2026
Fondazione MAST presents Bernd & Hilla Becher. History of a Method, a major retrospective dedicated to the German artist couple (1931–2007 and 1934–2015 respectively). Important figures in the history of 20th-century photography, the Bechers developed a visual language based on a rigorous methodological approach, and their influence on contemporary photography is still clearly recognizable to this day. For the first time in Europe, it showcases the methodological and thematic breadth of the couple’s oeuvre. On display in the MAST Galleries are more than 350 original black-and-white photographs, as well as an extensive collection of related materials, including drawings, books and posters, to help provide further insights into the complexity and consistency of the Bechers’ working method.
The exhibition was conceived by Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur in Cologne in cooperation with the Bernd & Hilla Becher Studio. It was organized by the Fondazione MAST with a new exhibition project realized in a collaborative effort between the two institutions.
Learn more