Icons of German postwar photography, Bernd and Hilla Becher meticulously documented industrial architecture across Europe and North America, challenging the distinction between documentary and fine art photography.
The artist duo and couple used large-format cameras to create striking black-and-white images of industrial forms, strictly adhering to their formal aesthetic principles and typological approach. Their photography simultaneously distils each construction into a taxonomy of visually and functionally homogeneous structures, whilst emphasising the particular and eccentric character of each.
The eponymous solo exhibition features several groupings of the Bechers’ most recognisable archetypal forms: gas tanks, water towers, winding towers, framework houses and preparation plants. The French, Belgian and even two rare Italian water towers reflect the formal diversity that can arise from buildings with corresponding functions across national borders and within them.
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Marcòn/Mestre, I, 1986
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Marcòn/Mestre, I, 1986
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Dunkerque, F, 2009
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Marcòn/Mestre, I, 1986
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Marcòn/Mestre, I, 1986
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Marcòn/Mestre, I, 1986
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Marcòn/Mestre, I, 1986
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Dunkerque, F, 2009
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Dunkerque, F, 2009
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Quarto D’Altino near Venice, I, 1986
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Quarto D’Altino near Venice, I, 1986
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Liévin, F, 2012
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Morlanwelz, B, 2009
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Quarto D’Altino near Venice, I, 1986
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Quarto D’Altino near Venice, I, 1986
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Quarto D’Altino near Venice, I, 1986
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Quarto D’Altino near Venice, I, 1986
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Liévin, F, 2012
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Liévin, F, 2012
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Morlanwelz, B, 2009
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Water Tower, Morlanwelz, B, 2009
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
This is the artists’ first solo exhibition at Sprüth Magers, London, in over a decade, marking the first since Hilla Becher’s passing in 2015. In recognition of this fact, the five gas tanks that commence the exhibition are from Great Britain, several from London specifically, and most of the work has never been shown in the country before.
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Hornsey, London, UK, 2009
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Hornsey, London, UK, 2009
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Hornsey, London, UK, 2009
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Tower Hamlets, London, UK, 2009
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Tower Hamlets, London, UK, 2009
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Tower Hamlets, London, UK, 2009
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
The Bechers’ photographs of gas tanks depict the circular edifice characteristic of historic gasometers: a metal guide frame with an expandable and retractable storage vessel within. These photographs record these gasometers at various levels of containment. Yet, unlike the other gas tanks on view, Gas Tank, Ilford, London, UK (2009) captures the gasometer at a moment in which it is nearly empty, thus revealing the complete ring of the structure’s discoid form. This visual distinction is made all the more apparent by the Bechers’ rigorous aesthetic approach and commitment to objectivity, which encourages close looking and the identification of difference.
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, North Greenwich, London, UK, 2009
Silver-gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Ilford, London, UK, 2009
Silver gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Huddersfield, UK, 1997
Silver gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, North Greenwich, London, UK, 2009
Silver-gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, North Greenwich, London, UK, 2009
Silver-gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Ilford, London, UK, 2009
Silver gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Ilford, London, UK, 2009
Silver gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Huddersfield, UK, 1997
Silver gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Huddersfield, UK, 1997
Silver gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
The Bechers’ photographs of gas tanks depict the circular edifice characteristic of historic gasometers: a metal guide frame with an expandable and retractable storage vessel within. These photographs record these gasometers at various levels of containment. Yet, unlike the other gas tanks on view, Gas Tank, Ilford, London, UK (2009) captures the gasometer at a moment in which it is nearly empty, thus revealing the complete ring of the structure’s discoid form. This visual distinction is made all the more apparent by the Bechers’ rigorous aesthetic approach and commitment to objectivity, which encourages close looking and the identification of difference.
Interweaving early and later work by the Bechers across a range of building types, including both single pieces and a typology, this exhibition reflects the profound variety produced from the artists’ concise methodology. Within the gas tanks on display, there are further formalistic groupings of structures that read as vertical, horizontal and even circular.
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Wesseling, D, 1983
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Wesseling, D, 1983
Bernd & Hilla Becher
GasTank, Wesseling, D, 1992
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Wesseling, D, 1983
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Wesseling, D, 1983
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Wesseling, D, 1983
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Wesseling, D, 1983
Bernd & Hilla Becher
GasTank, Wesseling, D, 1992
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
GasTank, Wesseling, D, 1992
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Frankfurt/Höchst, D, 1992
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Frankfurt/Höchst, D, 1992
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Wesseling, D, 1992
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Frankfurt/Höchst, D, 1992
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Frankfurt/Höchst, D, 1992
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Frankfurt/Höchst, D, 1992
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Frankfurt/Höchst, D, 1992
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Wesseling, D, 1992
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Gas Tank, Wesseling, D, 1992
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
On the second floor, several winding towers are also presented. Unlike gas tanks and water towers built for containment, the purpose of these structures was operational, transporting materials and workers in and out of underground mines, and the corresponding photographs do not depict the full structure, which is partially underground.
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Zeche Julia, Herne, D, 1978
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Zeche Julia, Herne, D, 1978
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Zeche Friedrich der Große, Herne, D, 1978
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Zeche Julia, Herne, D, 1978
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Zeche Julia, Herne, D, 1978
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Zeche Julia, Herne, D, 1978
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Zeche Julia, Herne, D, 1978
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Zeche Friedrich der Große, Herne, D, 1978
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Zeche Friedrich der Große, Herne, D, 1978
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Zeche Radbod, Hamm, D, 1982
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Zeche Radbod, Hamm, D, 1982
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Puits Bruay No. 7, Bruay, F, 1979
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Zeche Radbod, Hamm, D, 1982
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Zeche Radbod, Hamm, D, 1982
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Zeche Radbod, Hamm, D, 1982
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Zeche Radbod, Hamm, D, 1982
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Puits Bruay No. 7, Bruay, F, 1979
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Winding Tower, Puits Bruay No. 7, Bruay, F, 1979
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
The framework houses are the earliest works in the exhibition and record the distinctive architecture of Germany’s industrial Siegen region, one of the oldest iron-producing parts of Europe.
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework House, Hagener Straße 37, Wilnsdorf, D, 1970
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework House, Wilnsdorfer Straße 26, Gilsbach, D, 1972
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework House, Wiesenstraße 35, Siegen, D, 1970
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework House, Oststr. 16, Freudenberg, D, 1971
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework House, Holzhäuser Str. 25, Allendorf, D, 1973
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework House, Hagener Straße 37, Wilnsdorf, D, 1970
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework House, Hagener Straße 37, Wilnsdorf, D, 1970
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework House, Wilnsdorfer Straße 26, Gilsbach, D, 1972
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework House, Wilnsdorfer Straße 26, Gilsbach, D, 1972
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework House, Wiesenstraße 35, Siegen, D, 1970
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework House, Wiesenstraße 35, Siegen, D, 1970
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework House, Oststr. 16, Freudenberg, D, 1971
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework House, Oststr. 16, Freudenberg, D, 1971
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework House, Holzhäuser Str. 25, Allendorf, D, 1973
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework House, Holzhäuser Str. 25, Allendorf, D, 1973
Silver gelatin print
60 × 50 cm | 23 5/8 × 19 3/4 inches
91.5 × 75 cm | 36 × 29 1/2 inches (framed)
Edition of 5
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
In 1790, a law was passed that regulated the use of wood, which was needed for iron-smelting, resulting in the minimalistic, half-timbered domiciles unique to the region.
A native of Siegen, Bernd Becher grew up in a framework house and would have been intimately familiar with its neoclassical proportions and idiosyncratic gables. Having been trained as a painter and illustrator, his early solo work depicts the Siegen landscape, initially taking photographs for the purpose of reproducing them by hand. This practice would prove an important source of influence for his collaboration with Hilla, who was already expertly skilled in the technical conventions of photography by the time they met.
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework Houses – Street Side, 1970–73
9 silver gelatin prints
Each: 40 × 30 cm | 15 3/4 × 11 7/8 inches
Each (framed): 56 × 46 cm | 22 × 18 inches framed
Overall (framed): 172 × 142 cm | 67 3/4 × 56 inches
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework Houses – Street Side, 1970–73
9 silver gelatin prints
Each: 40 × 30 cm | 15 3/4 × 11 7/8 inches
Each (framed): 56 × 46 cm | 22 × 18 inches framed
Overall (framed): 172 × 142 cm | 67 3/4 × 56 inches
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Framework Houses – Street Side, 1970–73
9 silver gelatin prints
Each: 40 × 30 cm | 15 3/4 × 11 7/8 inches
Each (framed): 56 × 46 cm | 22 × 18 inches framed
Overall (framed): 172 × 142 cm | 67 3/4 × 56 inches
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
A native of Siegen, Bernd Becher grew up in a framework house and would have been intimately familiar with its neoclassical proportions and idiosyncratic gables. Having been trained as a painter and illustrator, his early solo work depicts the Siegen landscape, initially taking photographs for the purpose of reproducing them by hand. This practice would prove an important source of influence for his collaboration with Hilla, who was already expertly skilled in the technical conventions of photography by the time they met.
From the domestic framework house to the quirky preparation plants that occupy the same room, the Bechers draw out an austere elegance within everyday architecture, inviting us to see the built environment of modernity not merely as a backdrop to industrial society, but as sculpture itself.
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Preparation Plant, Siege Blegny Trimbleu, Liège, B, 1992
Silver gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Preparation Plant, Groesfaen Colliery, Bargoed, UK, 1966
Silver gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Preparation Plant, Breaker Llewellyn, USA, 1974
Silver gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Preparation Plant, Siege Blegny Trimbleu, Liège, B, 1992
Silver gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Preparation Plant, Siege Blegny Trimbleu, Liège, B, 1992
Silver gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Preparation Plant, Groesfaen Colliery, Bargoed, UK, 1966
Silver gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Preparation Plant, Groesfaen Colliery, Bargoed, UK, 1966
Silver gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Preparation Plant, Breaker Llewellyn, USA, 1974
Silver gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Preparation Plant, Breaker Llewellyn, USA, 1974
Silver gelatin print
50 × 60 cm | 19 3/4 × 23 5/8 inches
75 × 91.5 cm | 29 1/2 × 36 inches (framed)
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
Bernd & Hilla Becher
Installation view, Sprüth Magers, London, February 20–March 28, 2026
All installation views: Ben Westoby / Fine Art Documentation
Bernd & Hilla Becher
February 20–March 28, 2026
Public Reception: February 19, 6–8pm
London
Sprüth Magers
7A Grafton Street
London, W1S 4EJ
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Bernd & Hilla Becher
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