Elger Esser (1967-)

Born in Stuttgart, Esser lives in Düsseldorf, Germany.

His photographs, often cast into a soft and milky light, are of ruins or on remnants of things past, like an abandoned barge, a polluted canal, a field of wrecked cars, a burnt out or decomposing dock. He does not photograph these scenes to condemn the influence of humans on nature but rather to show how nature and culture (civilization) have become one.

Education:
1969-86 raised in Rome, Italy
1986-90 to train as a photographer
1991-97 Studies at Academy of Fine Arts Düsseldorf with Prof. Bernd Becher (Kunstakademie Düsseldorf)
1996 Student of Master Class
2006-2009 Professor of Photography at Universtiy of Arts and Design, Karlsruhe
(Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe)
2008 Visiting Professor of Photography at Folkwang Hochschule Essen

Grants and awards:
1998
DAAD-travel grant "Italy"
Supporting area Art Cologne (Galerie Inge Friebe)
Advancement award of Fine Arts of the city of Düsseldorf

2001
Deutsches Studienzentrum in Venedig (German study centre in Venice)

Selected Solo Exhibitions:
2010
Galerie Sfeir-Semler, Hamburg, Germany
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Salzburg, Austria
Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, München, Germany

2009
Elger Esser - Six American Sunsets - Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney, NSW
Kunstmuseum Stuttgart
Sonnabend Gallery, NY, USA
Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
Dominik Mersch Gallery, Sydney, Australia
Galleria Bonomo, Bari, Italy

2008
Elger Esser, Combray (Editions) - Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac - Salzburg, Salzburg
Elger Esser - FO.KU.S - Foto Kunst Stadtforum, Innsbruck
Elger Esser - Johnen & Schöttle, Cologne
Galleria Alessandra Bonomo, Roma, Italy
Rose Gallery, Santa Monica, USA 2007
Elger Esser. Combray - Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac - Salzburg, Salzburg
Galerie Sfeir-Semler, Hamburg
Ileana Sonnabend, New York
Elger Esser - Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, FL
Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, USA

2006
Elger Esser / Espacio 1 - GALERIA FÚCARES - Madrid, Madrid
Kunstraum Deutsche Bank, 2006
Elger Esser - Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, Munich
Elger Esser - Neue Werke - Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac - Salzburg, Salzburg
Elger Esser - Landscapes and Postcards - Haggerty Museum of Art, Milwaukee, WI
Gana Art Center (with Bae Bien-U), Seoul, Korea
Musée de la Cohue, Vannes, France
Haggerty Museum, Milwaukee, USA
Galerie de Zaal, Delft, Netherlands

2005
Galerie Johnen + Schöttle, Cologne
Sonnabend Gallery, New York
Elger Esser - Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac - Paris, Paris
Galleria Alessandra Bonomo, Roma, Italy

2004
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Salzburg
Fondation Herzog - Ein Laboratorium für Photographie, Basel
Galerie Sfeir-Semler, Hamburg
Galerie de Zaal (with Christina Doll), Delft, Netherlands

2003
Sonnabend Gallery, New York
Galerie Johnen + Schöttle, Cologne
Kunsthalle Rostock
Rüdiger Schöttle, Munich
Schirmer/Mosel Showroom, Munich
Marco Voena, Milan

2002
Galleria Alessandra Bonomo, Rome
Palazzo delle Papesse, Siena
Galerie Sfeier-Semler, Hamburg
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris, France

2001
Galleria de Arte Moderne Villa delle Rose, Bologna
Ileana Sonnabend, New York
Galerie Johnen & Schöttle (with Candice Breitz), Köln, Germany
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Salzburg, Austria
Sonnabend Gallery, New York, USA
Michael Hue-Williams Fine Art, London, Great Britain

2000
Alte Feuerwache Mannheim
Galerie Inge Friebe Lüdenscheid
Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, München, Germany
Galerie Inge Friebe, Lüdenscheid, Germany
Galerie 213, Paris, France
Galerie de Zaal, Delft, Netherlands

1999
Andreas Grimm Galerie, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Massimo Lauro Galleria, Milan, Italy
Sonnabend Gallery, New York, USA
neg-gallery, Milano, Italy

1998
Galerie Marion de Beaupre, Paris, France
Alte Post Neuss
Kunstverein Siegen, Siegen, Germany
Galerie de Zaal (with Michel Sauer), Delft, Netherlands
Kulturforum Alte Post Neuss, Neuss, Germany
Galerie Inge Friebe, Lüdenscheid, Germany
Galerie 213, Paris, France
Kunstraum Düsseldorf (Advancement Award of Fine Arts, City of Düsseldorf), Düsseldorf, Germany
1997
Andreas Grimm Galerie, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Kunstverein Hagen, Germany

1995
Kulturbahnhof Eller, (with Matthias Koch), Düsseldorf Germany

Selected Group Exhibitions:
2009
TAGO-MAGO. Galería Fúcares, Almagro, Spain
Siedlungen und Wohnanlagen 1858 - 1937. Stadtmuseum Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
Voyages pittoresques: Normandie 1820-2009. Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen, Caen, France
Rencontre de la Photographie. Abbaye de Montmajour, Arles, France
6 views of photography. Galerie de Zaal, Delft, Netherlands

2008
Galerie Sfeir-Semler, Beirut
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac
Galerie de zaal, Delft
Objectivités - La photographie à Düsseldorf - Musée d´Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris - MAM/ARC, Paris
Oasis - Gana Art Busan, Busan
Stille Landschaften - Städtische Galerie Lüdenscheid, Lüdenscheid
Pures Wasser - Städtische Galerie Villa Streccius, Landau / Pfalz
untitled (photography) - Galerie Tanit, Munich
True North - Deutsche Guggenheim, Berlin

2007
Seestücke, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg
Less Roses - Galerie Sfeir-Semler - Beirut, Beirut
FOTO.KUNST - Zeitgenössische Fotografie aus der Sammlung Essl - Sammlung Essl - Kunsthaus, Klosterneuburg
New Arrivals and Classix - Galerie Hafenrichter & Flügel (ex Galeria2000), Nürnberg

2006
Galeria Fúcares, Madrid
Peintres de la vie moderne Modern-life painters - Donation - Caisse des Dépôts' photograph collection - Centre Pompidou - Musée National d´Art Moderne, Paris
Room with a view - The Bouwfonds Art Collection - Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, La Haye
GLORIA - Gloria Halle, Düsseldorf
Fotokunst aus 60 Jahren. Kunst aus NRW unterwegs - Museum der Stadt Ratingen, Ratingen
Shifting Terrain. Contemporary Landscape Photography - The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT

2005
The City: Contemporary Views of the Built Enironment, Lehman College Art Gallery, New York
Landschaft als Metapher, Ursula Blickle Stiftung, Kraichtal
Flight 405, Galerie Sfeir-Semler, Beirut
dreamscapes, Aeroplastics Contemporary, Brussels
XL Photographs - Barbara Mathes Gallery, New York, NY

2004
Art History: Photography References Painting, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York
Vague II Hommages et digressions, Musée Malraux, Le Havre
mágenes en movimiento // Moving Pictures, Guggenheim Bilbao
Landschaften - Sonderausstellung zur KunstKöln, Cologne
De leur temps. Collections privées Francaises - Musee des Beaux Arts Tourcoing, Tourcoing
Intuition/(Im)Precision - Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac - Salzburg, Salzburg
Yet Untitled - Det Nationale Fotomuseum, Copenhague

2003
Affinities... Now and Then - H&R Block Artspace at Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
2003 Beaufort: kunst aan zee - , Oostende
Kunsthalle I. Kunsthalle Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
2002
Time Space Motion - Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac - Salzburg, Salzburg
Cabinet with Outfit - Galerie Andreas Brüning, Düsseldorf
Wallflowers, Kunsthaus Zürich
In Szene gesetzte Architektur, ZKM Karlsruhe/Stadtische Galerie Erlangen/Kunsthaus Kaufbeuren
Aus Düsseldorf, Baronian-Francey Galerie, Brussels
10 young german artists, Galerie de Zaal, Delft
Biennale der Fotografie, Moscow
From Pop to Now: Selections from the Sonnabend Collection - The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY
Heute bis Jetzt - Stiftung Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf
Interieur - Andreas Grimm - München, Munich

2001
Paola de Pietri e Elger Esser - Galleria d´Arte Moderna di Bologna - GAM, Bologne
Candice Breitz / Elger Esser - Johnen & Schöttle, Cologne
Chrisitna Doll, Elger Esser Michael van Ofen, Galerie Sfeier Semler, Hamburg
Ohne Zögern, Sammlung Olbricht, Neues Museum Weserburg, Bremen
Retrospective, Sonnabend Gallery, New York

2000
Galerie 213, Paris
Galerie de Zaal, Delft
Rüdiger Schöttle, Munich (with Candice Breitz)
Retrospective, Sonnabend Gallery, New York
Friesland is …, Friesmuseum, Leeuwarden
Landscapes - Portraits, Michael Hue-Williams Fine Art, London
The Sea and the Sky - RHA Gallagher Gallery - Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin
The Sea & The Sky - Arcadia University Art Gallery , Glenside, PA
Elger Esser / Sigune Siévi - Fotogalerie in der Alten Feuerwache, Mannheim

1999
New Photography, Marlborough Gallery, New York
VISA, Galerie Johnen + Schöttle, Cologne
Insight Out - Landschaft und Interieur als Themen zeitgenössischer Photographie - Kunstraum Innsbruck, Innsbruck
1998
Landschaftsbilder. Städtische Galerie Tuttlingen, Tuttlingen, Germany
Umgebung und Aussicht, Galerie Cora Hölzl
When season becomes form, Kulturallianzen Cologne

1997
ARToll Labor Bedburg-Hau

1996
Auslöser, Professionelle Fotografie aus Düsseldorf (Shutter: Professional Photography, Düsseldorf
Hafen Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany

1994
Idus Nemorensis Nemi Italy

Source:
Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac online