Fondazione MAST in Bologna is presenting History of a Method, a major retrospective dedicated to German artist duo Bernd & Hilla Becher, running from 23 April to 27 September 2026.
Curated by Gabriele Conrath-Scholl, Max Becher and Urs Stahel, the exhibition brings together more than 350 original black-and-white photographs alongside drawings, books and posters, offering an extensive overview of the couple's rigorous working practice and their impact on contemporary photography.
© Fondazione Mast
Widely regarded as key figures in 20th-century photography, the Bechers developed a distinct visual language centred on systematic documentation. Beginning around 1960, they focused on industrial structures including mines, winding towers, water towers, cooling towers, gas tanks, blast furnaces and grain silos. Their images, often arranged in grids or typologies, redefined documentary photography and resonated strongly with Minimal and Conceptual art movements.
The exhibition, conceived by Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur in cooperation with the Bernd & Hilla Becher Studio in Düsseldorf, is organised by Fondazione MAST with a newly developed exhibition design. Works are drawn from the Bernd & Hilla Becher Archive in Cologne and the Bernd & Hilla Becher Studio in Düsseldorf.
Divided into ten sections across the MAST Galleries, the show examines both themes and methods central to the Bechers' oeuvre. Sections include industrial landscapes, large-scale documentation projects such as the Ewald Fortsetzung coal mine, typologies of industrial forms, workers' housing, and the influential Anonymous Sculptures project first shown in 1969 at Kunsthalle Düsseldorf.
The retrospective also highlights the individual beginnings of both artists. Early drawings and photographs by Bernd Becher trace his shift from decorative painting and graphic design to photography, while Hilla Becher's early studies explore formal structures and natural materials following her photographic training in Potsdam and Düsseldorf.
Accompanying the exhibition is a catalogue published by Schirmer/Mosel Verlag, alongside an Italian-English booklet produced by Fondazione MAST. A public programme of talks, screenings, presentations and workshops is also scheduled.
In parallel, the MAST Foyer hosts a presentation on the Düsseldorf School of Photography, featuring works from the MAST Collection by former students including Andreas Gursky, Thomas Struth, Thomas Ruff and Tata Ronkholz, underlining the enduring influence of the Bechers' method.
More information:
Fondazione MAST
[email protected]
www.mast.org
