The Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Martinsried will show 34 photographs by Michael Nguyen in an exhibition. Martinsried is one of the two science suburbs of Munich, a district of the municipality of Planegg in the district of Munich in Bavaria. The exhibition, which take place in the foyer of the Institute, “build a bridge between science and arts”. The exhibition shows works from 2020 - 2022. Michael Nguyen shows architectural objects, plays of light and shadow, reflections and architectures captured in various cities across Europe.
Today, artistic photography moves quite differently than it did just a few decades ago as a visual force and communicative intervention in the midst of an overflowing glut of images, whose production, management, and dissemination have long since gotten out of hand with conscientious control. After film, television, and computers, the smartphone in particular has catapulted us into a new image age. Often the challenge is to give the eyes an occasion to linger between their unsteady jumps from image to image. Michael Nguyen succeeds exquisitely in creating such an occasion with his photographs by creating clarity in seeing and challenge in interpretation through reduction and pointing.
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Embracing | Umarmung, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, July 2022
The Philharmonie Luxembourg is a concert hall in the city of Luxembourg built from 2002 to 2005 in the district Kirchberg at the Place de l'Europe. The architect is Christian de Portzamparc. The white main building has the shape of an eye in plan. The steel and glass facade is visually dominated by 823 white columns 20 meters high and 30 centimeters in diameter.
Photo © Michael Nguyen/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
Michael Nguyen is a flâneur. On foot, he seeks the encounter worth seeing in detail. His photographs show us buildings, streets, staircases, vehicles, and people of the kind that we might encounter at any time by chance in our everyday lives. The pictures confront us with single views of elements, focus their colors and forms in detail, and leave aside the manifold abundance of the surrounding. In this way, the images unfold a power of the particular: Something like this, but exactly how we haven't seen things before.
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Planar Lineup of Time l Planare Aufstellung der Zeit, Düsseldorf, Germany, May 2022
Architecture in Düsseldorf's Media Harbor. At first glance, the photo looks like a straight collage consisting of 3 vertical parts. But it is a real scene taken from a specific perspective, to show different three-dimensional structures on a two-dimensional plane. The 3 facades represent 3 different architectural styles of two houses, whose appearance and atmosphere reflect the past, present and future.
Photo © Michael Nguyen/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
Nguyen likes to play with the seduction of the geometric, the regular, and the symmetrical. We find this everywhere as a testimony to the constructive power of a design oriented towards the ideal. Perfection is thus assumed, as is also the case with the impressively harmonized light and color gradients or surface textures. At the same time, the viewer is placed in an ideal position from which interest in what is depicted can unfold.
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Concrete Cut | Betonschnitt Regensburg, Germany, June 2022
Shadow cast on the facade of the Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte, a history museum about the history of Bavaria, located in Regensburg.
Photo © Michael Nguyen/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
On the other hand, we are stimulated to let our imagination roam based on what is shown. For in the stylization we find numerous occasions to associate moods and longings. This is especially the case when people are seen in their appearance detached from movement. The contrast to the extraordinary view of their surroundings plays a special role. Whoever gets involved with the pictures of Michael Nguyen will in any case experience an enrichment: the special in the incidental.
written by Prof. Dr. phil. Rainer Funke | Professor of Design Theory, Potsdam
Click on an image for full-size
# 3457 us close | uns nahe Düsseldorf, Germany May 2022 The Neue Zollhof is an ensemble of buildings in Düsseldorf's Media Harbor. The buildings are named after their creator, the Canadian-US architect and designer, Frank Owen Gehry, also known as the Gehry Buildings. The image shows House A which is completely clinkered. The buildings lean towards each other, stay close to each other. But sometimes they look also exclusive, giving limited access, closed from other parts of the world around. Photo © Michael Nguyen/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
# 3740 Shadow of an EKG | Schatten eines EKGs Berlin, Germany September 2022 Fascinating Shadow Play - A house facade is being renovated. On one of the upper floors, a red and white construction cone stands on scaffolding against a black background. With the black background, the cone casts its shadow through an opening between the scaffolding and the wall onto the wall of the floor below. Photo © Michael Nguyen/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
# 3650 Hereditary l Vererbung Trier, Germany July 2022 Close-up of a facade made of Horten tiles. Building of Horten department store in Trier, Fleischstraße (today Galeria Kaufhof) with typical facade of Horten tiles. The Horten tile is the building block of a special building facade, named after the Horten department store. It was designed by Helmut Rhode around 1961.The basic size of a tile is 50 × 50 cm, the depth is about 15-20 cm. Initially, the tiles were made of ceramic, later - aluminum. The shape corresponds to a stylized H for hoarding. The copy and paste of tiles produce a pattern. In turn, this pattern gives a signature look for this department store brand. Photo © Michael Nguyen/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
# 3627 Embracing | Umarmung Luxembourg City, Luxembourg July 2022 The Philharmonie Luxembourg is a concert hall in the city of Luxembourg built from 2002 to 2005 in the district Kirchberg at the Place de l'Europe. The architect is Christian de Portzamparc. The white main building has the shape of an eye in plan. The steel and glass facade is visually dominated by 823 white columns 20 meters high and 30 centimeters in diameter. Photo © Michael Nguyen/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
# 3730 A Moment in Time | Ein Augenblick in der Zeit Munich, Germany January 2022 The windows in the patient room of a hospital are closed with blinds. A nurse holds a wall clock up with one arm to hang it on the wall. Her body with the clock casts a shadow to the left. Light shows on a wardrobe to the right and left over her shadow. There are also elongated ones on her back that look like the scan of an AI. Photo © Michael Nguyen/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
# 3459 Planar Lineup of Time l Planare Aufstellung der Zeit Düsseldorf, Germany May 2022 Architecture in Düsseldorf's Media Harbor. At first glance, the photo looks like a straight collage consisting of 3 vertical parts. But it is a real scene taken from a specific perspective, to show different three-dimensional structures on a two-dimensional plane. The 3 facades represent 3 different styles of architecture, with look and feel conveying past, present and future. Photo © Michael Nguyen/VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn
Most of the time, Michael Nguyen focuses on small, ordinary things but through the subjective lens, he give them new perspectives, a new soul. “With my camera I capture little things that we often don't notice in everyday life. I also like to observe people and photograph them in everyday situations.”
Michael Nguyen is a “publicity shy” (Merkur - Daily newspaper Munich) photographic poet and artist who moves away from the mainstream, at the same time blurs genres. “Most of the photos could only be taken because Nguyen has a special eye for his surroundings and gives even the mundane a second view." (Süddeutsche Zeitung).
In addition to his photo art, photography and his artistic activities, Michael Nguyen is Editor-in-chief of the online magazine for photography and art: Tagree
Michael Nguyen is member of FREELENS - Professional Association of Photojournalists.
Represented by Visura Visual Agency
Licenses for most of the images and series from Michael Nguyen’s series "By the roadside" are exclusively available for editorial use to purchase via VISURA.
Michael Nguyen is member of FREELENS - Professional Association of Photojournalists, Germany.
Awards | Press | Exhibitons | Interviews l News
Michael Nguyen
Clarity of Seeing, Fantasy of Interpretation
Photographs
Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry
Am Klopferspitz 18
82152 Martinsried
Date and opening hours:
24.10.- 09.12.2022
Mon-Fri 08.00 - 00.00
Sat, Sun & public holidays 08.00 - 20.00
Visitors please register at the main entrance at the reception. Please follow the instructions of the security staff.
Current hygiene rules
Wearing an FFP2 mask (recommended, not mandatory)
Sufficient distance to each other (min.1.50 m)
Hand disinfection
In case of cold symptoms please postpone your visit
Foyer Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry
Promo Photo
© Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried
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