The German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans confesses he has ‘morphed in recent months from an inherently political, to an overtly political person’. It’s a sentiment seemingly shared by many. The lead-up to the EU referendum on 23 June has seen a relentless barrage of fervid campaigning, impassioned pleas and heated contentions from both sides of the aisle.
So to London, where the theme – and timing – of his new solo exhibition at Maureen Paley couldn’t be more appropriate, however coincidental. Featuring new and previously unseen work, Tillmans’ latest effort hones in on the ‘visible and invisible borders that define and sometimes control us’.
The self-titled exhibition comprises a characteristically eclectic mix of subjects, including immigration counters, pastel landscapes, street portraits and even a particularly squirm-inducing, close-up of human blood flowing through medical tubes. Upstairs, a new grouping of tables from his ongoing truth study center series have been installed. Another work, I refuse to be your enemy 2, (2016), collates blank sheets of office paper from North America and Europe. Inspired by a student workshop Tillmans gave last year in Iran, the artist comments on the parallels in nationalised forms of printed communication.
The largest work, The State We’re In, A (2015), takes pride of place in the downstairs gallery. Capturing a stark expanse of water in the Atlantic Ocean, where ‘international time lines and borders intersect’, it’s the work that resonates most with Tillmans’ pro-EU poster designs, examples of which are being presented on the exterior of Maureen Paley.
‘What is lost is lost forever’ says one poster; ‘No man is an island. No country by itself’ declares another. Originally launched in April, the works are available freely on his website, where Tillmans encourages their download and dissemination as posters and T-shirts. He has also dedicated his Berlin project space, Between Bridges, to the refugee crisis. The line between where Tillmans the artist ends, and Tillmans the campaigner begins is becoming all the more blurred.
The photographer recently captured the Tate Modern’s Herzog & de Meuron-designed extension for our latest issue and limited edition cover, ahead of a major retrospective there early next year. With the EU referendum just over a week away, it will be fascinating to see how Tillmans responds to this ‘one-in-a-generation moment’.
The self-titled exhibition comprises a characteristically eclectic mix of subjects printed in varying sizes
Ahead of the EU referendum in just over a week, the timing – and theme – of Tillmans' show could be more appropriate
Tillmans' works question the notion of borders. A close-up of human blood flowing through medical tubes outside of the human body (pictured right) sits alongside landscapes and street portraits
I refuse to be your enemy 2, 2016, collates blank sheets of office paper from North America and Europe. Inspired by a student workshop Tillmans gave last year in Iran, the artist comments on the parallels in nationalised forms of printed communication
Installation view at Maureen Paley, London
Meanwhile, examples of Tillmans’ pro-EU posters are being presented on the exterior of Maureen Paley. ‘What is lost is lost forever’ says one poster
INFORMATION
The exhibition is on view until 31 July. For more information, visit Maureen Paley’s website
Photography © Wolfgang Tillmans. Courtesy of Maureen Paley, London
ADDRESS
21 Herald Street
London E2 6JT
-
The bespoke Jaguar E-Type GTO melds elements from every era of the classic sports carECD Automotive Design’s one-off commission caters to a client who wanted to combine the greatest hits of Jaguar’s E-Type along with modern conveniences and more power
-
Casa Sanlorenzo debuts in Venice as a new hub for contemporary artThe luxury yachting leader unveils a stunning new space in a palazzo restored by Piero Lissoni – where art, innovation, and sustainability come together
-
Once vacant, London's grand department stores are getting a new lease on lifeThanks to imaginative redevelopment, these historic landmarks are being rebonr as residences, offices, gyms and restaurants. Here's what's behind the trend
-
Get lost in Megan Rooney’s abstract, emotional paintingsThe artist finds worlds in yellow and blue at Thaddaeus Ropac London
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt was a jam-packed week for the Wallpaper* staff, entailing furniture, tech and music launches and lots of good food – from afternoon tea to omakase
-
London calling! Artists celebrate the city at Saatchi YatesLondon has long been an inspiration for both superstar artists and newer talent. Saatchi Yates gathers some of the best
-
Alexandra Metcalf creates an unsettling Victorian world in LondonAlexandra Metcalf turns The Perimeter into a alternate world in exhibition, 'Gaaaaaaasp'
-
Lubaina Himid and Magda Stawarska’s new show at Kettle’s Yard will uncover the missing narratives in everyday life storiesThe artists and partners in life are collaborating on an immersive takeover of Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge, in an exhibition that delves into a lost literary legacy
-
Sexual health since 1987: archival LGBTQIA+ posters on show at Studio VoltaireA look back at how grassroots movements emphasised the need for effective sexual health for the LGBTQIA+ community with a host of playful and informative posters, now part of a London exhibition
-
Ten things to see at London Gallery WeekendAs 125 galleries across London take part from 6-8 June 2025, here are ten things not to miss, from David Hockney’s ‘Love’ series to Kayode Ojo’s look at the superficiality of taste
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been up to this weekThis week saw the Wallpaper* team jet-setting to Jordan and New York; those of us left in London had to make do with being transported via the power of music at rooftop bars, live sets and hologram performances
