Palazzo Loredan, 2005
b. 1965 in Dillingen an der Donau, Germany
Lives and works in Venice, Italy and New York, USA
Matthias Schaller graduated in Cultural Anthropology from the Universities of Göttingen, Siena and Hamburg, presenting a thesis on the work of Giorgio Sommer (Frankfurt 1834 - Naples 1914), one of the most successful photographers of the nineteenth century.
Schaller's images are not merely architectural views; they are poetic compositions that bring together the interior and exterior, transforming the photographed spaces into metaphysical “still lives”. The Venetian Palazzi reveal interiors that interact with the low light and reflections of the lagoon water, creating a powerful symbolism between the urban landscape and human existence.
Schaller has been working on the concept of creating a variation on portrait or “indirect portrait” throughout his career. A selection of his past series includes: The Mill (2001-2002), photographs of the home of Bernd and Hilla Becher; Echokammer (2003), children’s rooms in Naples, Italy; Purple Desk Controfacciata (2004- 2014), piano nobile interiors of Venetian palaces; Fratelli d ’Italia (2005-2008), one hundred and fifty Italian opera houses; Disportraits (2008-2009) astronauts suits; Leiermann (2010-2014), on Venetian mirrors; Punk City (2012) a series on seventy of the most historically valuable early punk music vinyls.
Berggruen Arts & Culture recently has presented (April 2025) Controfacciata, an exhibition curated by Mario Codognato. Hosted at the Casa dei Tre Oci, the Venice headquarters of the Berggruen Institute Europe.
In addition, Mathias Schaller is preparing to host new exhibitions, in particular the permanent site-specific floor installation by the artist Piero Golia (Naples, 1974), and, in May 2025, a new major project with international collaborations on the occasion of the 19th International Architecture Exhibition.
Amongst other venues, Schaller’s work has been exhibited at the Venice Biennale, the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, the Galleria Internazionale d’Arte Moderna Ca’ Pesaro and the Museo del Vetro in Venice, the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Rio de Janeiro, the Picasso Museum in Münster, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne, the Serralves Museum in Porto, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, SITE in Santa Fe, and the Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf.
The artist was awarded the Fellowship - DAAD award in Rome in 1992, the Fellowship - Tokyo Wonder Site, Tokyo in 2008 and the German Photobook Award three times, in 2009, 2010 and 2020.