Kirchentag

Düsseldorf-based Andreas Gursky is a leading figure of the generation of German photographers who, during the 1990s, rose to prominence in contemporary art practice. Many of his photographs reflect on the human condition in an era of globalisation.

Kirchentag is a nocturnal scene capturing an endless mass of people in a makeshift campground illuminated by lamp and torch light. The crowd is gathered to attend Kirchentag, a festival of religion and world affairs, which is held biennially in different German cities and which regularly attracts more than 100,000 participants. Some have tents, but most are sleeping in the open air on blue tarpaulins with sleeping bags and air mattresses. They resemble a sea of displaced people, a plight all too common in times of political and religious upheaval or natural disasters. The figures disappear in the distance, with the lights eventually becoming the only sign of their existence.

Julie Robinson, Senior Curator Prints, Drawings and Photographs