In a recent article about Santiago Sierra’s solo exhibition at the Helga de Alvear Museum, Javier Díaz Guardiola alluded to the inevitability of reading this, and any upcoming exhibition in Cáceres, as a tribute to Helga. At the gallery, we feel that this reflection applies to us as well, and moreover, we believe it is desirable to leave a trail of micro-homages framed within a discursive line that highlights aspects of her figure that deserve to be told and aim to enrich her memory.

The photographers of the Düsseldorf School, as well as those influenced by it, have constituted one of the core pillars of the gallery’s identity. Closely linked to her German roots, many of the prominent names shaped by the Bechers' New Objectivity have been represented by Helga at different points in time. This is also reflected in her collection, which, on the occasion of the PhotoEspaña festival, is exhibiting a carefully curated selection of these artists at the Serrería Belga through the end of July.

Another of Helga’s great passions that connected her to her native Germany was the tenor Jonas Kaufmann. The echo of his voice, performing the music of Verdi or Wagner, still resonates through the halls of Doctor Fourquet 12, providing the soundtrack to many mornings of our legendary gallerist. One of Kaufmann’s most acclaimed performances was his role as Parsifal at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Critics highlighted his mastery in conveying a restrained and subtle melancholy. This technical and sober perfection, combined with the monumental odyssey of the knight of the Round Table, clearly intersects with the most prominent aesthetic principles of the Düsseldorf School.

François Girard’s stage design at the Met adapts the scenery to the emotional weight experienced by the character, allowing us to draw yet another connection with the German photographers. The reflection on the impact of landscape transformation on the lives that orbit around it parallels the experience of the audience in Parsifal.

This exhibition presents a selection of works by Candida Höfer, Axel Hütte, Thomas Ruff, and Frank Thiel.