COLLEKTON
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Portrait of Ruediger Glatz

Artist · Photographer

Ruediger
Glatz

*17.11.1975, Heidelberg – GermanyBased in Hamburg – Germany
Contact

About

Ruediger Glatz is a German artist based in Hamburg, working with photography, video, and mixed media. His practice draws on the traditions of documentary photography while deliberately loosening their claims to description and evidence. Working primarily in serial form, Glatz approaches his projects as conceptual portraiture — portraits not only of people, but of places, subcultures, and emotional or psychological states.

Marked by dense black-and-white imagery, his work is shaped by everyday observation and a latent sense of mysticism. Long-term projects such as BACKFLASHES, THE NEW BLACK, ON PPP, EVERYDAY, and KAMENICA, as well as ongoing collaborations with Tilda Swinton and Olivier Saillard, unfold across photography, video, and performative formats. His work has been exhibited widely across Europe and the United States.

Before fully dedicating himself to his photographic practice, Glatz was active as a graffiti writer and co-founded Montana Cans, contributing to the formation of the international graffiti and urban art landscape. He currently serves as Chairman of the German Photographic Society (DGPh).

Education

Self-taught

Works

A preview of selected works. See the full archive for more.

Characters

Characters

2017 · Archival pigment print

Confrontation — Heidelberg

Confrontation — Heidelberg

2012 · Archival pigment print

Confrontation — Hamburg

Confrontation — Hamburg

2014 · Archival pigment print

Works ↗

Exhibitions

Selected solo and group exhibitions across Europe and the United States.

Solo

  • 2025

    KAMENICA — Barlachhalle K, Hamburg (DE)

  • 2023

    GENESIS DROP — HVW8 Gallery, Berlin (DE)

  • 2022

    REFLECTING PASOLINI — Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome (IT)

  • 2021

    ADDICTED2CLICK — Barlachhalle K, Hamburg (DE)

  • 2017

    CHARACTERS — Palazzo Gianfigliazzi, Florence (IT)

  • 2015

    CONFRONTATION – Dark Thoughts and Moments of Light — Golden Hands Gallery, Hamburg (DE)

  • 2011

    WONDERFUL WORLD — KUNST/HALLE, Heidelberg (DE)

  • 2010

    SEHR GUTE HUNDE — Kunstverein Rottweil (DE)

  • 2008

    BACKFLASHES — PRETTY PORTAL Gallery, Düsseldorf (DE)

  • 2006

    MONTANA WRITER TEAM — Truman Brewery, London (UK)

    MONTANA WRITER TEAM — VICIOUS Gallery, Hamburg (DE)

  • 2003

    TRAINS — Halle02, Heidelberg (DE)

Group

  • 2026

    BACKJUMPS The Live Issue: Reality Check — COLAB Gallery, Weil am Rhein (DE)

  • 2024

    SKATEBOARTS II — Forum für Kunst Rottweil (DE)

  • 2020

    FSK18 — Evelyn Drewes Gallery, Hamburg (DE)

    PAPERS PLEASE — COLAB Gallery, Weil am Rhein (DE)

    LES IMAGES PERDUES — streets of Arles (FR)

  • 2018

    KNOTENPUNKT / Retrospektive Markus Genesius — Hafenmuseum Speicher XI, Bremen (DE)

  • 2017

    NEBUKADNEZAR — Forum für Kunst Rottweil (DE)

  • 2016

    CAFÉ DE FLORE — Gallery Anne & Just Jaeckin 2ArtAngels, Paris (FR)

    SKATEBOARTS — Gallery ABART, Stuttgart (DE)

    SKATEBOARTS — Forum für Kunst Rottweil (DE)

  • 2013

    #INSTAGOOD — opening of ART KARLSRUHE (DE)

    SCHWARZWALD — Sammlung SLG, Bernau (DE) — with Volker Glatz

  • 2012

    INSIGHTS3 — KUNST/HALLE, Heidelberg (DE)

    FROM URBAN TO CONTEMPORARY — CBK, Amsterdam (NL)

    SCHWARZWALD — Manfred-Sauer-Stiftung, Lobbach (DE) — with Volker Glatz

  • 2011

    INSIGHTS2 — KUNST/HALLE, Heidelberg (DE)

    ZWIEFACH — Kunstverein Rottweil (DE)

  • 2010

    POSTERMAT — Gallery THE HOLE, New York (US)

    INSIGHTS — KUNST/HALLE, Heidelberg (DE)

    SHOW — VICIOUS Gallery, Hamburg (DE) — with Stefan Strumbel

    STRASSENKUNST 2010 — Kunstverein Graz, Regensburg (DE)

  • 2009

    ARTISTS FOR DALAI LAMA — Frankfurt (DE)

    ART BAZZLE — off ART BASEL, Basel (CH) — with Adrian “SMASH137” Falkner

    ARTISTS FOR DALAI LAMA — Cologne (DE)

    VICIOUS Gallery meets STILWERK — Hamburg (DE)

    TOMORROW AIN’T PROMISED — Heidelberger Kunstverein (DE) — with Adrian “SMASH137” Falkner

    KRAUTS Gallery meets COCOON CLUB — Frankfurt (DE)

    ACHTUNG ROTTWEILER — representation of the state BW, Brussels (BE)

  • 2008

    KRAUTS Gallery meets COCOON CLUB — Frankfurt (DE)

    YOUNG BLOOD — Kunstverein Rottweil (DE)

    KINDERGARTEN — ABX, off ART BASEL, Basel (CH)

    CARHARTT Gallery — Weil am Rhein (DE)

    CREATIVE CLASH — KRAUTS Gallery, Mannheim (DE)

    NO NEW ENEMIES — Museum Botanique, Brussels (BE)

    LOS FOTOS — VICIOUS Gallery vs. SIX FINGERS, Hamburg (DE)

    URBAN FEEDBACK — Basel (CH)

  • 2007

    THE WALLS BELONG TO US — Powerhouse Arena, NYC (US)

  • 2006

    NO SLEEP TILL BROOKLYN — Powerhouse Arena, NYC (US)

    GENERATIONS — Heidelberg (DE) — with Volker Glatz

  • 2005

    URBAN 2005 — Offenburg (DE)

  • 2004

    ARTISTS feat. Stefan Strumbel — Halle02, Heidelberg (DE)

    Photographic Center of Athens, Athens (GR)

Publications

Monographs, artist books, and titles in which the work is featured.

Authored

  • 2026

    ON STYLEWRITING — a chat. BALD BOOKS. ISBN 978-3-911998-01-7

  • 2024

    KAMENICA — A Portrait of Chemnitz. Kehrer. ISBN 978-3-96900-175-2

  • 2022

    EMBODYING PASOLINI — with Tilda Swinton and Olivier Saillard. Rizzoli. ISBN 978-0-8478-7272-5

    THE LONG ROAD TO PASOLINI — self-published zine, edition of 1000

  • 2019

    KALLMORGEN TOWER — Kehrer. ISBN 978-3-86828-901-5

  • 2017

    CHARACTERS — edition of 1000, distributed by Sutor Mantellassi and Ruediger Glatz

  • 2009

    BACKFLASHES – Graffiti Tales — Publikat. ISBN 978-3980990950

  • 2006

    MONTANA WRITER TEAM: Graffiti at its best — Publikat. ISBN 978-3980990950

Featured

  • 2025

    Tilda Swinton — ONGOING. Rizzoli. ISBN 978-0-8478-6051-7

  • 2020

    Untold Stories: Inside Graffiti Writing Culture — René Van Kan. Publikat. ISBN 978-3939566533

  • 2018

    L’écriture de l’ombre, la photographie du graffiti — Bernard Fontaine. Édition Vague Terrain. ISBN 978-3980990950

  • 2015

    IMPOSSIBLE WARDROBES — Tilda Swinton and Olivier Saillard. Rizzoli. ISBN 978-0847841769