Joachim Schmid's Appropriation Photography at P420 Bologna

Joachim Schmid, born in Balingen in 1955 and active on the German scene since 1980, has long refused to create new photographs, insisting that existing images suffice. His solo exhibition at Galleria P420 in Bologna presents a broad selection of works centered on appropriation and viewer imagination. 'Bilder von der Straße' comprises 1,000 images found in public spaces across 123 cities from 1982 to 2012, each labeled only with location and date. 'The Artist’s Model' gathers deliberately censored 1960s fashion photographs, evoking empathy despite unknown motives. 'R.Flick Collection' pairs 20 photos from Flickr with works by famous artists like Nan Goldin and Bernd and Hilla Becher, questioning authorship. 'Meetings' uses clichéd honeymoon catalog images to critique stereotypes. 'Zur Theorie der Fotografie' features 36 shots with descriptive or symbolic phrases on the reverse, prompting viewers to imagine the scene. 'Il Mare' pairs descriptions of Earth's seas with gray-toned ocean images. 'Statics' reconstructs shredded photographs into abstract-like fields that recall original content.