Typologien is an extensive study dedicated to 20th-century German photography that ties in with the exhibition at the Fondazione Prada Milan in 2025. The exhibition is curated by Susanne Pfeffer, art historian and director of the MUSEUM MMK FÜR MODERNE KUNST in Frankfurt.
The project's name refers to the principle of 'typology', a term applied in 17th and 18th century botany to categorise and study plants. Its use appeared in photography in the early 1900s, affirming itself in Germany throughout the 20th century.
The book and exhibition path follow a typological rather than a chronological order, bringing together more than 600 photographic works by 25 established and lesser-known artists to create an essential roll call for a century of German photography. Photographers include Bernd and Hilla Becher, Sibylle Bergemann, Karl Blossfeldt, Ursula Böhmer, Christian Borchert, Margit Emmrich, Hans-Peter Feldmann, Isa Genzken, Andreas Gursky, Candida Höfer, Lotte Jacobi, Jochen Lempert, Simone Nieweg, Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter, Heinrich Riebesehl, Thomas Ruff, August Sander, Ursula Schulz-Dornburg, Thomas Struth, Wolfgang Tillmans, Rosemarie Trockel, Umbo (Otto Umbehr), and Marianne Wex.
Fondazione Prada, 320pp, 21cm x 28 cm, illustrated paperback, 2025