EXHIBITION

BLACK IN DARK - PHOTOGRAPHS. HUBERTUS HAMM

03.12.2010 - 27.02.2011
Pinakothek der Moderne

Die neue Sammlung - The International Design Museum Munich

An unusual and provocative approach in the field of product photography: the exhibition »Black in Dark« focuses on works by Hubertus Hamm, the contents of which only become apparent to the viewer at a second glance. They can be irritating, giving the viewer few clues as to what objects are actually depicted.
For a number of years Hamm has been working conceptually with the use of black in his photographs to fathom the limits of human perception. He made the »Black in Dark« series of images in early 2010 for ZEITmagazin: black design objects in a dark corner of a room, photographed without any artificial lighting. There are objects like - for example - lamps, e.g. the lamp »Falling Water« of Tobias Grau, or the Hublot bicycle, or pieces produced by Ligne Roset and Swarovski.
Despite the virtually non-existent illumination, the smooth surfaces of the objects readily reflect any light and, as a result, are themselves rendered visible. It looks as if they are glowing faintly against the background of an undefinable space. On top of this, the jet black matte surfaces of the photographs themselves absorb almost all ambient light. It is, however, not merely the darkness of the shots that hinders any interpretation of the objects photographed, but the unconventional angle also leaves much unexplained. The viewer is left groping in the dark. Nothing tangible can really be seen with everything partially dissolving into abstract forms.
An exhibition of Die Neue Sammlung - The International Design Museum Munich - in cooperation with ZEITmagazin.