On view at SFMOMA, Wolfgang Tillmans's To Look Without Fear showcases the prolific artist's body of work, marking the evolution of his craft from the 1980s to the present day. For over 30 years, Tillmans has approached his craft with a soft openness and quiet yearning for human connections. Beginning with early trials on a copying machine to tender portraits, insightful documentation of societal movements, and inventive abstract compositions, Tillmans' range showcases his unwavering dedication to confronting the world head-on.
For this retrospective, the artists presents a mix of both framed and unframed images arranged in patterns that will be sprinkled from the ground to the ceiling. Magazine clippings, moving visuals, and his installations like the Truth Study Center table all adorning every surface. This method embraces the idea of a visual egalitarianism where, in Tillmans' words, "If one element holds significance, everything holds significance."
To Look Without Fear is on view from November 11, 2023 – March 3, 2024.