Lothar Wolleh Abroad

The year 2024 was certainly a successful year in terms of international exhibitions. In three countries – The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany – Lothar Wolleh's photography was part of major and agenda-setting exhibitions.

Denmark

Part of the Socle du Monde Biennale in Herning, Denmark (May-November 2024) was the exhibition ‘A Realist View of the Realists', curated by Tijs Visser. This presentation included a selection of portraits of the Nouveaux Réalistes that Wolleh had taken in Milan in 1970, on the occasion of the group’s last gathering. With the intention of creating an artist’s book, Wolleh followed the artists around Milan intensively, resulting in portraits and photographs of performances and a celebratory gathering of the artists at renowned jet-set restaurant Biffi.

Of particular importance are two so-called ‘collabs’ shown in Herning, Wolleh's collaborative projects with Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle, which resulted in a fusion of photography and assemblage. In 2025, a publication initiated by Lothar Wolleh Raum, will focus on over 40 of these collaborative projects.

The Netherlands

In July 2024, the exhibition ‘Lothar Wolleh sees Jan Schoonhoven - Masters in Rhythm and Light’ opened at Museum Prinsenhof Delft. With no less than 112 works, this was the first presentation of Lothar Wolleh’s photography on this scale in the Netherlands. The exhibition was accompanied by a public program of guided tours, city walks, a jazz evening and a film screening. The friendship and artistic exchange between the two artists was at the heart of all events.

With over 58,000 visitors and a rating of 4 (out of 5) stars in the Dutch national press, the exhibition can be considered a success. In the slipstream of the exhibition, work is currently underway on a virtual reality walk through Delft, based on Lothar Wolleh’s photographs. The exhibition was accompanied by a richly illustrated publication, which included the artists’ book Schoonhoven and Wolleh jointly conceived in 1971.

Germany

In October 2024, the exhibition ‘Lucio Fontana – Expectation’ opened at the Von der Heydt-Museum in Wuppertal. In this first Fontana retrospective in Germany since 30 years, Lothar Wolleh participated with a gallery of his own, showcasing 11 photographs and a collaborative work with Lucio Fontana. Wolleh’s iconic photograph of Fontana’s hands was the campaign image for the exhibition and also graced the cover of the catalogue.

With an illustrated essay, the catalogue pays special attention for the first time to a collaborative project of Wolleh and Lucio Fontana, an edition they conceived in 1966–1967. The artists bundled their artistic visions in a cassette: Wolleh's photography and Lucio Fontana's signature punctures, his buchi, and multi-colored so-called teatrini. This exhibition and publication are the result of an intensive collaboration between the Fondazione Lucio Fontana, the Von der Heydt Museum and Lothar Wolleh Raum.