Wolfgang Tillmans: To look without fear (Opening Night)

Wolfgang Tillmans: To look without fear
Opening Night
SFMOMA
November 2023

Wolfgang Tillmans: To look without fear is the most comprehensive exhibition of the influential artist’s work to date, charting the development of his practice from the 1980s through the present, across every genre of photography imaginable. From early experiments with a photocopier to ecstatic nightlife images, intimate portraits, incisive documentation of social movements, and innovative cameraless abstractions, Tillmans’s broad subject matter reveals his steadfast commitment to engage unflinchingly with the world.

Tillmans plays an integral role in designing and installing his exhibitions. This survey features both framed and unframed photographs arranged in constellations that extend from floor to ceiling, magazine pages taped to the wall, video work, and his Truth Study Center table installations. This approach embraces the concept of visual democracy, where, as Tillmans puts it, “If one thing matters, everything matters.”