Essen/Germany, 16 November 2021

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From 1 December 2021 to 6 March 2022, the Red Dot Design Museum in Essen will present a photo exhibition with forty works by German photographer Ralf Schultheiß on the occasion of his 40th anniversary as a photographer. Over the coming three months, visitors will encounter large-scale ‘people photographs’ at different locations in the museum, against a backdrop that marries the old with the new as well as industrial architecture with contemporary design. The photos date from a period of four decades. In individual portraits and group pictures, they show ‘normal’ people and celebrities alike, including portraits of actor and Fassbinder muse Hanna Schygulla and of musical artists Trude Herr and Gianna Nannini from the 1980s, photographs of fashion designers Wolfgang Joop and Giorgio Armani as well as of Donald Trump from the 1990s before he became the US President.

“Ralf Schultheiß has the ability to capture the unique essence of the people he photographs,” explains Professor Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of Red Dot. “So we are delighted to be able to show a retrospective of his work in the Red Dot Design Museum”.

Photographer Ralf Schultheiß

Born in Essen in 1952, Ralf Schultheiß started out as one of the first students to study visual communication under Professor Willy Fleckhaus at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. A communication designer, Fleckhaus not only trained Schultheiß’ eye but also informed the visual aesthetic in West Germany for a long time. After completing his studies, Schultheiß began his career as a photographer at Frankfurter Allgemeine Magazin before going freelance in 1981. Over the past forty years, Schultheiß has photographed people all over the world – commissioned by such well-known clients as Getty Images and “Stern” magazine. The exhibition “Forty Faces” has been curated by Schultheiß himself and provides an insight into his life’s work. 

Public tour with photographer Ralf Schultheiß

12 December 2021 | 2–3 p.m.

Photographer Ralf Schultheiß will guide interested visitors through his exhibition “FORTY FACES” personally and tell the stories behind the large-scale photographs. As spaces are limited, you must reserve your place in advance by phone (Tel.: +49 201 30104–60).

Red Dot Design Museum – Opening times and entry fees

Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays: 11 am to 6 pm
Mondays: closed (except on public holidays and during the NRW school holidays)

Entrance fee: EUR 9 (reduced rate: EUR 4)
Children under the age of 12: free
Fridays: pay what you want

Note on the pandemic: All visitors to the museum must provide proof either of vaccination or of recovery from coronavirus (This is known as the ‘2G rule’ in Germany). Schoolgoers below the age of 16 are excepted from this rule provided that they have a valid school ID.

For more information and up-to-date notices, see www.red-dot-design-museum.org

Press contact

Astrid Ruta | Konzept. Text. Redaktion.
Phone: +49 201 84079533           
E-mail: museum(at)astridruta.de