Image: Adamar Fine Arts, Miami
The MAST Foundation in Bologna is showing 'Bernd & Hilla Becher. History of a Method' through September 27, 2026, bringing an extensive retrospective of the German photographic duo to the MAST.Galleries and Foyer. The exhibition runs from April 23 to September 27 and is free to enter, with the galleries open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 7 pm. According to the foundation, the presentation includes more than 350 original black-and-white photographs, along with drawings, books, and posters that expand the view of the Bechers’ systematic working process.
The exhibition is curated by Gabriele Conrath-Scholl, Max Becher, and Urs Stahel. MAST says the show presents, for the first time in Europe, the breadth and thematic richness of Bernd and Hilla Becher’s work. The retrospective is organized by Fondazione MAST in collaboration with Die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur in Cologne and the Bernd & Hilla Becher Studio, with a new exhibition project developed between the institutions.
Bernd and Hilla Becher are described by MAST as central figures in the history of twentieth-century photography, and the foundation emphasizes the sustained influence of their rigorously systematic visual language on contemporary photography. The exhibition is structured in 10 sections that examine the themes and methods underlying their practice, allowing visitors to trace the logic that shaped the pair’s serial approach to industrial subjects.
The works shown at MAST include images of cooling towers, extraction towers in Belgium, France and Great Britain, the Seven Sisters Well in South Wales, and half-timbered houses in the industrial region of Siegen, all identified in the exhibition page as part of the Bechers’ archive. The retrospective is presented as an opportunity to follow the development of a body of work that the foundation says helped redefine photographic standards and influenced generations of artists.
A separate installation in the MAST Foyer runs alongside the main exhibition and is devoted to photographers associated with the Düsseldorf School. It includes works by Andreas Gursky, Thomas Struth, Thomas Ruff, and Tata Ronkholz from the MAST Collection, framing the Bechers’ method through later artistic research. The foundation notes that the Foyer display highlights the legacy and continued relevance of the Bechers’ approach.
MAST is also offering a range of public and educational programs connected to the exhibition. Free guided tours are available by reservation, and Thursday tours end with a drink in the MAST.Caffetteria. The foundation is also providing free activities for schools and summer camps, with guided visits, workshops, and practical sessions designed for younger audiences.
An accessibility project has also been announced for the exhibition, developed with MAD Servizi Culturali in collaboration with La Girobussola APS. The initiative includes tactile panels for selected works and guided visits for blind and visually impaired visitors, with the first scheduled dates listed by the foundation as June 7, June 28, June 23, and July 7, 2026. The show remains on view at the MAST.Galleries and Foyer in Bologna until September 27, 2026.
