Gerhard Kurtz

1971 Born on January 28th in Zgierz, Poland
1977 Emigration to West Germany
1995-2003 Photography studies at the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts with Arno Fischer; exhibitions and multiple book projects
Since 2003 work as freelance photographer; completion of several photo book projects.
2005 2nd place at the 7th Aenne Biermann Competition for German Contemporary Photography, for the photo book Haus, Weg, Baum ("House, path, tree")
2006 Membership in the studio co-op at Münsterstr. 28
2007 Publication of Haus, Weg, Baum; participation in the Heimatgrün ("Green homeland") photo project of the city of Dortmund
2008 Participation in the Leipzig and Frankfurt book fairs; Haus, Weg, Baum selected for the German Photo Book Prize.

Exhibitions

2005 "Stadtleben" ("City life"), group exhibition, Bastion Club, Bochum
2005 Group exhibition at Widumestraße 11, Bochum
2005 Gera Museum for Applied Arts, 7th annual Aenne Biermann Award exhibition, "Haus, Weg, Baum" ("House, path,tree")
2005 Wiesbaden Photography Festival, Pokusa Gallery, Wiesbaden
2006 Mourre Frais Retrospective, Balazuc, France
2007 "Sieben im Park" ("Seven in the park"), group exhibition, Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof ("Life is no walk in the park"),
2007 "Heimatgrün" ("Green homeland"), former hotel at Romberg Park, Dortmund
2008 "Heimatdesign" ("Home design"), Dortmund
2008 "Atelierfrankfurt" ("Frankfurt studio"), Frankfurt am Main

Collections

Gera Museum for Applied Arts

Haus, Weg, Baum ("House, path, tree")

"It is a portrait of a city that only the initiated can identify. For it looks at the city as a concept, as an interchangeable place. Urbanisation and its consequences compete against aesthetics and the needs of residents.

The work presents crisp black-and-white photographs in vertical format that alternate between the rigorous and the romantic. Gerhard Kurtz uses calm moments to pull his viewers into a world in which things speak but nevertheless retain their mysterious co-existence.” –From the catalogue text for the 7th Aenne Biermann Competition, in 2005, by Ute Mahler.