End of an epoch, end of an idea
Angela Merkel: an era ends—and with it a project unique in the world.
Between 1991 and 2021 this remarkable politician was photographed year after year, with a short hiatus,
by Herlinde Koelbl. Each time they came together, a headshot and a three-quarter-length shot were taken before a plain white background; images that document with authenticity the astonishing ascent of a 37-year-old political outsider to one of the most powerful politicians in the free world. This long-term photo study strikingly shows how the traces of power changed Merkel, who at the start of this extraordinary photographic ritual was still almost 15 years away from becoming the first woman chancellor of Germany.
What did she have to learn, how did she have to change in order to persist, indeed to survive politically? How did politics impact her private life? The renowned photo artist succeeded in capturing Merkel’s human side through other means apart from her camera lens. Usually extremely reserved, the politician answered Koelbl’s questions with such surprising openness and intimacy that, according to the
Guardian,
the two women share “one of the most unusual relationships in modern politics.” Herlinde Koelbl presents a documentary portrait in words and images, of a kind that does not exist for any other global leader. It travels through time, spanning the Angela Merkel epoch—from the first year to the last. It is the portrait of an extreme physical and psychological transformation, and the written record of a unique rapport.
Also available as an Art Edition of 125 copies (No. 1–125), with the print Angela Merkel, 1994/2018, signed by Herlinde Koelbl
The photographer and author
Herlinde Koelbl is one of the most renowned German photographic artists. Her comprehensive oeuvre is characterized above all by long-term photographic projects, often complemented by in-depth interviews and videos. Her photographs have been shown at numerous international exhibitions and are represented in many major collections. Herlinde Koelbl has published more than a dozen books of photography, including Fascination of Science (2021), Targets (2014), Traces of Power (1999)and Jewish Portraits (1989). She has been honored for her work multiple times, among others, with the Dr. Erich Salomon Award in 2001 and with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2009.
