Cultural Anonymity

German photographer Michael Wolf (1954-2019) documented and marveled at the vernacular culture of the modern metropolis. Architecture of Density is a sprawling collection of colossal structures that can be found in Hong Kong. Charting the excessive repetition of rooms and blank windows, the photographs turn housing into a world of disillusioned abstraction. Devoid of landscape, the recognisable semantics of buildings are forgotten: concrete can be a material that consciously reproduces patterns organically and without limitation. Through cropping, he presents a different perspective of architecture as an entity that is free-flowing. Cities can continue to move in our imaginations as we attempt to visualise the size of them outside of the borders of the image. Wolf’s work has been exhibited at a number of locations including the Venice Biennale, the São Paulo Biennial for Architecture, Aperture Foundation, and MCA Chicago. www.photomichaelwolf.com.