Left: “Cinema” by Thomas Struth Right: “Tokamak Hockformat” by Thomas Struth
Thomas Struth, the artist best known for his museum series, is exhibiting his work at the Berliner Martin-Gropius-Bau for the first time ever, and he’s doing it in large-scale. “Nature & politics” features images of typically inaccessible complex devices, production plants, structures and constructions while exploring the aesthetics of innovation. Through large-format images, Struth intends to challenge the limits of what is actually possible by incorporating artificial worlds that boost the natural reality we’re used to.
“I wanted to explore the process of imagination (…) I am only concerned with how something that at first was only a thought materialises and becomes part of reality,” said the artist. “‘Picturing something,’ this expression already describes the brain’s ability to think in pictures”.
Although the images are based on high levels of imagination, they also incorporate many manmade structures, spaces and devices, some of which are hard to believe actually exist. Through this interplay, Struth raises the question of how objects embody power and political statements.
“Aquarium” by Thomas Struth
“Research vehicle” by Thomas Struth
“Basilica” by Thomas Struth
“Hushniya” by Thomas Struth
“Vacuum Chamber” by Thomas Struth
“Seestueck” by Thomas Struth
“Tokamak Querformat” by Thomas Struth
“Ride” by Thomas Struth
Thomas Struth’s “Nature & Politics” is at Martin-Gropius-Bau until 18 September 2016