Barbara Probst

Bio

Barbara Probst's photographic work explores the intricate relationship between perception and subjectivity, a theme that resonates deeply in our contemporary landscape. By employing a remote-controlled release system, Probst simultaneously activates the shutters of multiple cameras positioned at various viewpoints, capturing a single scene from diverse angles. This innovative approach results in a series of images—collectively known as "Exposures"—that reveal the nuanced ways our understanding of reality can be distorted. As art historian Richard Hobbs aptly notes, Probst's work challenges us to recognize "the extraordinary opportunity a split second offers for potentially becoming different," illustrating how even fleeting moments can be reinterpreted and redirected in meaningful ways. Born in Munich, Germany, Probst honed her artistic vision at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Munich and the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Her work has been showcased extensively in both and the United States, with significant exhibitions at prestigious venues such as New Photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Among her notable solo exhibitions are those at the CentrePasquArt in Biel, Switzerland; Domaine de Kerguehennec in Bignan, Paris; the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago; the National Museum of Photography in Copenhagen; and Le Bal in Paris, among others. Probst's impactful work is included in an array of esteemed public collections, such as the Folkwang Museum in Essen, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus in Munich, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Several monographs featuring her photography have been published by leading art presses including Steidl, Hatje Cantz, Hartmann Books, and Editions Xavier Barral. Currently, Barbara Probst divides her time between New York and Munich, where she continues to push the boundaries of photographic art with her innovative explorations of perception.