Artist Talk: Wolfgang Tillmans

In anticipation of the opening of the exhibition Wolfgang Tillmans: To look without fear, SFMOMA hosted a lecture with the artist.

Wolfgang Tillmans is an artist working primarily in photography whose practice encompasses three-dimensional installations, sound and video, book making, journalism and writing as well as photographs generated both with and without a camera.

Seamlessly integrating genres, techniques, and exhibition strategies, he has expanded conventional ways of approaching the medium and his work has epitomised a new kind of subjectivity in photography, pairing intimacy and playfulness with social critique.

Since the early 1990s, Tillmans’s work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at international institutions, and his work is held in museum collections worldwide. In 2000, Tillmans was the first photographer and non-British artist to receive the Turner Prize.

Tillmans has operated the nonprofit exhibition space Between Bridges since 2006. Located in London until 2011, the space reopened in Berlin in 2014. In 2023, he was named as one of the one hundred most influential people by TIME. Tillmans lives and works in Berlin and London.

This in-person talk took place on November 2, 2023, at 6 p.m. in the Phyllis Wattis Theater at SFMOMA.

Image credits for Video

‘To look without fear’, installing of the exhibition at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2023.

Exhibition model of ‘To look without fear’ (Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto) at WT Studio, Berlin, 2023.

Exhibition model of ‘To look without fear’ (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) at WT Studio, Berlin, 2023.

‘Book for Architects’, 2014. Two-channel video installation (color, silent), 40 minutes 55 seconds. Installation view at the 14th Venice Architecture Biennale, 2014.

Slide from ‘Book for Architects’, 2014. Two-channel video installation (color, silent), 40 minutes 55 seconds.

‘In My Room (Firecracker in my Head)’, 1986.

(Left to right) ‘Selbstportrait 130487’ [self-portrait 130487], 1987. Pencil on paper, frame. ‘self-portrait’, 1987. Black-and-white laser photocopy, frame. Exhibition view at Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel, 2017.

‘Lacanau (self)’, 1986.

‘Approach (Avenue of the Americas) I–III’, 1987.

‘Springer’, 1987.

(Left to right) ‘Edinburgh builders, b’, 1987. ‘Edinburgh builders, a’, 1987.

‘Clouds I’, 2008.

‘Sun’, 1987.

‘Moon Sphere’, 2021.

Exhibition view of ‘To look without fear’ at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2023.

(Left to right) ‘Lighter, black V’, 2009. ‘Lighter, black concave III’, 2009. ‘Lighter 76‘, 2008. Chromogenic prints, acrylic glass hoods. Various dimensions. Exhibition view at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2023.

‘Lighter, orange concave I’, 2009. Chromogenic print, acrylic glass hood. 64.2 x 52.2 x 12.5 cm. Exhibition view at Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2023.

‘Lighter, blue up XIII’, 2013. Chromogenic print, acrylic glass hood. 64.2 x 52.2 x 12.5 cm. Exhibition view at Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2023.

‘Venus transit, edge’, 2004.

‘Venus transit’, 2004. (Detail)

‘Munuwata sky’, 2011.

(Left to right) ‘Germany Valley, West Virginia’, 2017. ‘Argonaut’, 2017.

‘To look without fear’. Exhibition model at WT Studio, Berlin and exhibition view at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2023.

‘La Palma’, 2014.

(Left to right) ‘Details of ‘Concrete Column III’, 2021. ‘Concrete Column III’, 2021.

‘Geos 2’, 2021.

‘Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos’, 2022.

‘Tag/Nacht III’ [Day/night III], 2015. Inkjet print on paper, binder clips. 161 x 242 cm. Exhibition view at Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2023.

‘The Colour of Money’, 2004.

‘Port-au-Prince’ 2010.

‘growth’, 2006.

Concorde grid, 1997. Fifty-six chromogenic prints, each 31.2 x 21.8 cm (Overall 159.8 x 442 cm). Exhibition view at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2022.

Concorde grid, 1997 (Detail). Fifty-six chromogenic prints, each 31.2 x 21.8 cm (Overall 159.8 x 442 cm). Exhibition view at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2022.

‘To look without fear’, installing of the exhibition at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2023.

‘grey jeans over stair post’, 1991.

‘Verrutschte Socke’ [Slipped Sock], 1989.

‘domestic scene, Remscheid’, 1991.

(Left to right) ‘Love (hands in hair)’, 1989. ‘dancer, Opera House’, 1989.

‘To look without fear’, installing of the exhibition at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2023.

‘Adam bleached out’, 1991.

‘Adam’, 1991.

‘Alex in her room’, 1993.

‘Richie Hawtin, home, sitting’, 1994.

‘Lutz, Alex, Suzanne & Christoph on beach (b/w)’, 1993.

‘Lutz & Alex sitting in the trees’, 1992.

(Left to right) ‘Lutz & Alex looking at crotch’, 1991. ‘Lutz & Alex holding cock’, 1992.

‘Suzanne & Lutz, white dress, army skirt’, 1993.

‘nackt, 2’ [naked, 2], 2014.

‘nackt’ [naked], 2003.

‘AA Breakfast’, 1995.

‘Macau Bridge’, 1993.
‘police helicopter’, 1995.

‘To look without fear’, installing of the exhibition at Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2023.

‘To look without fear’, installing of the exhibition at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2023.

‘San Francisco’, 1995.

‘Hole in the wall’, 1995.

‘Deer Hirsch’, 1995.

‘Jochen taking a bath’, 1997.

‘window/Caravaggio’, 1997.

‘To look without fear’, installing of the exhibition at Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2023.

‘Icestorm’, 2001.

‘I don’t want to get over you’, 2000.

‘Blushes # 3’, 2000.

‘Muskel’, 2001.

‘Anders pulling splinter from his foot’, 2004.

Exhibition view of ‘To look without fear’ at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2023.

‘tree filling window’, 2002.

(Left to right) ‘rat on trash bags’, 1995. Chromogenic print, tape. 30.5 x 40.6 cm. ‘rat disappearing’, 1995. Chromogenic print, tape. 50.8 x 61 cm. Exhibition view at at Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2023.

‘Faltenwurf (skylight)’, 2009.

(Left to right) ‘Kopierer, e’ [Copier, e], 2010. ) ‘Kopierer, b’ [Copier, b], 2010.

‘CLC 800, dismantled, a’, 2011.

Silver installation at Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2023. Chromogenic prints, frames. Various dimensions.

‘Silver 127’, 2013.

(Right) ‘Silver 220‘, 2007. Inkjet print on paper mounted on Dibond aluminum, artist’s frame. 224 x 171 x 6 cm. Exhibition view at Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2023.
‘paper drop (passage) I’, 2019.

‘paper drop (red)’, 2006.

‘paper drop (star)’, 2006.

‘Wet Room, Gloves’, 2010. Inkjet print on paper mounted on aluminum, artist’s frame. 104.2 x 84.4 x 3.2 cm. Exhibition view at Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2023.

‘Freischwimmer 54’ [Free Swimmer 54], 2004.

‘Freischwimmer 26’ [Free Swimmer 26], 2003.

‘Ostgut Freischwimmer, left’ [Ostgut Free Swimmer, left], 2004. Inkjet print on paper, binder clips. 274.7 x 610 cm. Exhibition view at Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2023.

‘Ostgut Freischwimmer, left’ [Ostgut Free Swimmer, left], 2004. (Detail). Exhibition view at Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2023.

‘Freischwimmer 230’ (Free Swimmer 230), 2012. Exhibition view at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2023.

‘Headlight, (f)’, 2010.

‘Movin Cool’, 2010.

‘Jurys Inn’, 2010.

‘Ushuaia Favela’, 2010.

‘Shanghai night, a’, 2009.

‘Tukan’, 2010.

‘astro crusto, a’, 2012. Inkjet print on paper, binder clips. 161 x 242 cm. Exhibition view at Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2023.

‘Peas’, 2003. Standard-definition-video (color, ambient sound), 2 min. 42 sec.

(Left to right) ‘outside Globe, SF’, 1990. ‘anti-homeless device’, 2000.

(Bottom left to right) ‘Stop the War Demo, a’, 2003. ‘Anti-Travel Ban Demo’, 2017.

(Bottom left to right) ‘Black Lives Matter protest, Union Square, b’, 2014. ‘Black Lives Matter protest, Union Square, a’, 2014.

‘NICE HERE. but ever been to KYRGYZSTAN? Free Gender-Expression WORLDWIDE’, 2006.

‘The Cock (kiss)’, 2002.

‘Sendeschluss / End of Broadcast I’, 2014.

‘Sendeschluss / End of Broadcast I’, 2014. (Detail).

Truth Study Center. Exhibition view at Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2023.

‘Truth Study Center (New York, table 1)’, 2022. (Detail). Exhibition view at The Museum of Modern Art, 2022.

(Left to right) ‘Truth Study Center (US, Table 5)’, 2006–07. (Detail). ‘Truth Study Center (New York, Table 4)’, 2022. (Detail). ‘Truth Study Center (New York, Table 5)’, 2022. (Detail). Exhibition view at The Museum of Modern Art, 2022

From ‘Time Mirrored’, ongoing

‘Truth Study Center (New York, Table 2)’, 2022. (Detail). ‘Truth Study Center (New York, Table 6)’, 2022. (Detail). Exhibition view at The Museum of Modern Art, 2022.

‘Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Pussy Riot’, 2015. ‘Frank, in the shower’, 2015.

(From left to right) ‘Yulan Grant’, 2016. ‘Kae Tempest’, 2021.

‘Lüneburg (self)’, 2020.

‘Weed’, 2014.

Exhibition view of ‘To look without fear’ at Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, 2023.

‘heatwave’, 2020.

‘birthday party’, 2008.

‘blue self-portrait shadow’, 2020

Isa Genzken and Wolfgang Tillmans, ‘Science Fiction / Hier und jetzt zufrieden sein’ [Science Fiction / Happy in the Here and Now], 2001. Wallpaper, mirrors, wood. Exhibition view at The Museum of Modern Art, 2022.

‘Moon in Earthlight’, 2021. 4K video (color, sound), 3 min. 33 sec. Exhibition view at The Museum of Modern Art, 2022.

Still from ‘Moon in Earthlight’, 2021. 4K video (color, sound), 3 min. 33 sec.

Artist Talk: Wolfgang Tillmans

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