Michael Wolf was born in 1954 in Munich, Germany. He worked and lived in Paris and Hong Kong where he died in April 2019.
The focus of Michael Wolf’s work is life in mega-cities. His projects document both the architecture and the vernacular culture of metropolises. Born in Munich, Wolf grew up in Canada, Europe, and the United States, studying at UC Berkeley and at the Folkwang School with Otto Steinert in Essen, Germany. He moved to Hong Kong in 1994, where he worked for eight years as a contract photographer for Stern magazine. Since 2003, Wolf has been focusing on his own projects, publishing over thirty books of his work.
Wolf’s work has been exhibited in numerous locations including the Venice Biennale of Architecture, the International Architecture Biennial in São Paulo, Aperture Gallery in New York, Museum Centre Vapriikki in Tampere, Finland, Museum der Arbeit in Hamburg, Museum August Kestner in Hannover, Museum Folkwang in Essen, the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Biennial of Urbanism/Architecture, Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, the Rencontres de la Photographie in Arles, and Fotomuseum Den Haag in The Hague.
His work is held in many permanent collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Brooklyn Museum, the San Jose Museum of Art in California, the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, the Museum Folkwang in Essen, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, and M+ in Hong Kong.
He has won first prize in the World Press Photo Contest on two occasions (2005 and 2010) and received an honorable mention in 2011. Wolf has been shortlisted twice for the Prix Pictet photography prize (2010 and 2016).
Education
1973–77
Studied with Otto Steinert at the Folkwang Academy in Essen Werden, Germany
Selected solo exhibitions
2017
„Life in cities“ Fotomuseum Den Haag / Les Rencontres d’Arles, Arles, France
2016
„Informal solutions“ MOTi Museum, Breda, Netherlands
„Informal solutions“ Michael Wolf's studio / Blue Lotus Gallery, Hong Kong, China
„Paris Rooftops“ Bau-Xi Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2015
„Paris Rooftops“ m9 Project Space, Shanghai, China
„Blind Walls and Night Trees“ Galerie Wouter van Leeuwen, Amsterdam, Netherlands
„Hong Kong Narratives“ Michael Wolf's studio / Blue Lotus Gallery, Hong Kong, China
„Hong Kong Inside Outside“ Tin Shed Gallery, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
2014
„Urban Spirit“ Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
„Paris Abstract“ Robert Koch Gallery, San Francisco, United States
„My favorite thing“ Wouter van Leeuwen Galerie, Amsterdam, Netherlands
„Hong Kong Flora“ Michael Wolf's studio / Blue Lotus Gallery, Hongkong, China
„Architecture Of Density“ Flowers Gallery, London, Great Britain
„The real toy story“ K11 Art Foundation, Shanghai, China
2013
„Small God, Big City“ M97 Gallery, Shanghai, China
„Industrial Architecture“ M97 Gallery, Shanghai, China
„Transparent City“ Bau-Xi Gallery, Toronto, Canada
„Architecture Of Density“ X Bienal de Arquitetura, Sao Paulo, Brazil
„Tokyo compression“ Rencontres Gaspesie, Canada
„Small god, big city“ 25books, Berlin, Germany
„Architecture of Density / the scout shots & small god, big city“ Galerie Wouter van Leeuwen, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2012
„Street View Portraits“ Galerie Wouter van Leeuwen, Amsterdam, Netherlands
„Total City“ Ivam Institut d’Art Modern, Valencia, Spain
Hong Kong And Shenzhen Biennial of Urbanism/Architecture, Hong Kong, China
„Portraits Of Cantonese Opera Singers“ Bamboo Theater, Museum M+, Hong Kong, China
2011
„Life in Cities“ Christophe Guye Gallerie, Zurich, Switzerland
„Untitled Flowers“ London, Great Britain
„Real Fake Art / Tokyo Compression Revisited“ 25 Books, Berlin, Germany
SH Contemporary, Shanghai, China
„Metropolis“ Robert Koch Gallery, San Francisco, United States
„I’m Watching You“ Elipsis Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
„Fear In The City“ Monnaie De Paris, France
„Tokyo Compression“ Forum für Fotografie, Cologne, Germany
2010
„Hong Kong Corner Houses“ Upper Station Street Gallery, Hong Kong
„We Are Watching You“ La Galerie Particulière, Paris, France
Gallery Fifty One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp, Belgium
„Tokyo Compression“ 25 Books, Berlin, Germany
„Iseeyou“ Bruce Silverstein Gallery, New York, United States
„Life In Cities“ M97 Gallery, Shanghai, China
Venice Biennale Of Architecture, Venice, Italy
Art HK 2010, Hong Kong, China
„Paris Street View“ Curated by Foam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Goethe Institute Hong Kong, China
2009
„Transparent City“ Aperture Gallery, New York, United States
„Metropolis“ La Galerie Particulière, Paris, France
„Aipad“ The Photography Show – New York, United States
„Transparent City“ Gallery Fifty One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp, Belgium
„Transparent City & Architecture of Density“ Entropy Art, Naples, Italy
The Armory Show, Modern, New York, United States
2008
„Transparent City“ Museum for Contemporary Photography, Chicago, United States
„Butterfly Dream“ Shanghai Moca Envisage Ii Moca, Shanghai, China
„Translocalmotion“ Shanghai Biennale, China
Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai, China
„Hong Kong Back Door“ Lumenvisum Gallery, Hong Kong, China
„Heritage“ Hong Kong Corner Houses Goethe Institute, Hong Kong, China
„Real Fake Pictures & Architecture of Density“ Galerie Wouter Van Leeuwen, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2007
„Pieces of China“ A Retrospective of Michael Wolf’s China Projects Museum Center Vapriikki, Tampere, Finland
„Two
Photographers in Dialog. Michael Wolf's 'Architecture of Density' &
Stephen Canhams 'Traveling Gypsie’s Homes'“ Hallische Gallerien, Dresden,
Germany
„China Projects“ Gallery M97, Shanghai, China
„Fake – Portraits of Chinese Copy Art“ Goethe Institute, Hong Kong, China
2006
„Architecture Of Density / China Copy Artists“ Gallery Fifty One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp, Belgium
„Hong Kong Front Door Back Door“ German Museum For Architecture, Frankfurt, Germany
„100 x100“ Gallery of the Goethe Institute, Hong Kong
Daegu Photo Biennale, Korea
„Architecture of Density“ 798 Photo Gallery, Beijing, China
„Architecture of Density / 100 x 100“ Gallery Laif, Cologne, Germany
„The Real Toy Story“ Museum For Work, Hamburg, Germany
„Architecture Of Density“ Janet Oh Gallery, Seoul, Korea
Hasted-Hunt Gallery, New York, United States
1918 Artspace, Shanghai, China
„Sitting in China“ Kap Forum, Cologne, Germany
2005
„Hong Kong front door/back door“ Gallery Colette, Paris, France
„useful, cute and collected“ the photographed animal Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany
„Architecure of Density“ Ping Yao photography Festival, Ping Yao, China
2004
„The real Toy Story“ John Batten Gallery, Hong Kong, China
„Hong Kong the back Door“ Hong Kong art walk, Hong Kong, China
„Architecture of Density“ Bryant Park during New York Fashion Week, New York, United States
2003
„Portraits of Chinese People“ John Batten Gallery, Hong Kong, China
„Sitting in China“ Kestner Museum, Hannover, Germany
„Images against War“ Galerie Lichtblick, Cologne ,Germany
1990
„Otto Steinert and Students“ Folkwang Museum, Essen, Germany
1979
„Neighborhoods“ Eugene Richards/Michael Wolf, Folkwang Museum, Essen, Germany
1975
„Portraits of Craftsmen in Essen“ curated by ute Eskildsen, room 315 of the University of Essen, Germany
Selected group exhibitions
2018
"Wealth, Good Fortune and Longevity - Chinese New Year Prints" Museum Rietberg, Switzerland
2016
„Photography and Contemporary Experience“ Portland Art Museum, Portland, United States
„In and/or Out: Seiichi Furuya and Michel Wolf“ Grisebach, Düsseldorf, Germany
„The Soul of Money“ DOX centre for contemporary art, Prag, Czech Republic
2015
„Digital Conditions“ Kunstverein Hannover, Hannover, Germany
„Words Matter“ Robert Koch Gallery, San Francisco, United States
2014
„Urban Spirit“ Christophe Guye Galerie, Zurich, Switzerland
2013
„Icones“ Musée des beaux-arts de Liège, Belgium
„Architecture of density“ x bienal de arquitetura, Sao Paulo, Brazil,
„Tokyo compression“ recontres gaspesie, Canada,
„small god, big city“ 25books, Berlin Germany
2012
„Privat“ Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, Germany
„Von Sinnen: Wahrnehmung in der Zeitgenoessischen Kunst“ Kunsthalle Zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany
„Public: Collective Identity | Occupied Spaces“ The Museum Of Contemporary Canadian Art, Toronto, Canada
„Making History“ Frankfurter Kunstverein, Franfurt, Germany
„The Near and Elsewhere“ PM Gallery, London, Great Britain
WEF, Davos, Switzerland
2011
Prix Pictet: Growth Fotodoks, Münchner Stadtmuseum, Munich, Germany
„Infinite Balance: Artists and the Environment“ Museum Photographic Arts, San Diego, United States
„Cities: Visionary Places“ Torrance Art Museum, Los Angeles, United States
„Metropolis. City Life In The Urban Age“ Noorderlicht Photo Festival, Groningen, Netherlands
Sifest #20 Savignano Immagini, Savignana sul Rubicone, Italy
„Hail Traveler!“ Rick Wester Fine Art, New York, United States
NY Temporary: The City through Photography, Film & Video Muse Center of Photography, New York, United States
Street Photography Now Uno Art Space, Stuttgart, Germany
2010
Street Photography Now Contributed, Berlin, Germany
„Renversements De Faits“ Abstractions Photographiques Le Château d’eau, Toulouse, France
Street Photography Now Third Floor Gallery, Cardiff, Great Britain
Alles Wieder Anders Ruhr Museum, Essen, Germany
Bredaphoto, Breda, The Netherlands
„Meer“ Voorkamer, Lier, Belgium
„City Flâneur“ Social Documentary Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong, China
„From The Vanishing Point – Demolished Public Housing Estates In Hong Kong“ 1a Space, Hong Kong, China
The New York Photo Festival, New York, United States
„Index 1.0“ Gallery Fifty One Fine Art Photography, Antwerp, Belgium
„Homelesshome“ Museum On The Seam, Jerusalem, Israel
2009
„Cities – Places Visionaires“ Group Auditorium Arte, Rome, Italy
„The Bare Necessity of Art“ Etherton Gallery, Tucson, United States
„Parallax“ M97 Gallery, Shanghai, China
„Landscape as Dream“ Studio La Citta, Verona, Italy
2008
China Design Now Victoria And Albert Museum, London, Great Britain
„Eastern Standard, Western Artists In China“ Mass Moca, North Adams, United States
2007
Bac! Centre De Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
„Facades“ Krannert Art Museum, Champaign, United States
Contemporary Art from the Permanent Collection San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, United States
Ulisphotofest 2007 Ulisphotofest, Istanbul, Turkey
2006
Shanghai Biennale, Artspace 1918, Shanghai, China
„Made in China“ Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, United States
2004
„Truth! Photography’s Promise of Reality“ Ruhrland Museum, Essen Germany
2003
„Post Chicago“ Gallery 400, University of Illinois, Chicago United States
2000
„Peking Shanghai Shenzhen: Cities of the 21st Century“ Bauhaus Museum, Dessau, Germany
1981
„Wie lebt man im Ruhrgebiet“ Folkwang Museum, Essen, Germany
Awards
2009
World press photo, 1st prize, ‘Daily Life’
2004
World press photo, 1st prize, ‘Contemporary Issues stories’
Collections
Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York, United States
The Metropolitan Museum Of Art, New York, New York, United States
San Jose Museum of Art San Jose, California, United States
Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany
Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Microsoft Corp, Art Collection, Redmond, Washington, United States
German Museum for Architecture, Frankfurt, Germany
