You Are Invited by Juergen Teller

You are invited, basically, is a mid-career survey of Teller’s work from the 1990s to today. With photo series, videos, portraits of iconic personalities like Kate Moss, Iggy Pop, or the late Maggie Smith posing with a Loewe bag. There is Pope Francis visiting a women’s prison during the 2024 Biennale in Venice. Auschwitz. Teller’s daughter. His pregnant wife Dovile Drizyte (who, by the way, co-curated this exhibition). Self-portraits showing Teller inside a Victoria Beckham shopping bag or simply in front of a temple in Chongqing. To cut it short, there are never-before-shown photos, snails, bees, fashion, and somehow a lot of buttocks. 

And just in case there is anyone out there who still doesn’t know this certain photographer who was originally supposed to become a bow maker for string instruments – I’m going to freshen up your mind. But to do that in a to-his-style-appropriate way, I should probably use a lot of short, direct sentences. So, let’s try: Juergen Teller is raw. Juergen Teller is true. His images are serious. Intimate. Somehow humorous at the same time. Grotesque. They unmask the illusions of today’s world. They are about love, trust, and hope. About fertility, environment, politics, and religion. Personal with an imperfection that is almost poetic. As mentioned, he originally trained to become a bow maker. But had to stop because of a dust allergy. He's been living in London since the 80s. Worked with Nick Knight. Nirvana. Patti Smith. Claudia Schiffer. Yeah, basically everyone.

But if you’re bold enough to try to describe him with long sentences, you could say that Teller seems to be some sort of spiritual guide for many people in the creative industry. Yes, that’s a big-ass statement. But he inspires and is relatable at the same time. He disrupts the conceptual language of other big photographers. You could even say that he reminds you a bit of these Dadaistic artists from the early 20th century who purposely created art that could be done by anyone. Because, in a way, when you look at Teller’s photos, you might secretly think you could do it as well. Capturing the moment. You just have to be at the right place at the right time. But let me tell you a not-so-secret secret. No one can be Juergen Teller. No one can do it like him. No one could have photographed that woman with the “Bring Back God” T-shirt in a way that it makes so much sense.  

Now, the exhibition at Onassis Ready, a new multidisciplinary space in Athens' industrial zone, focuses on Teller’s creative journey. On how his way of exploring themes has shifted over the past decades. A retrospection between past and present work. And a closer look at personal, life changing experiences that unleashed a deeper intensity in how Teller views the world around him. The birth of his daughter Iggy, for example. One experience that made his work even more meaningful. It made him search for a new sense of purpose. So far, it is Teller’s most expansive solo exhibition in Greece to date. And – ah, stop. You might be wondering why Teller is hosting this exhibition in Athens. You might be wondering, what is the connection?

First of all, everyone deserves good art shows. No one can argue with that. Second of all, Teller and Onassis Stegi share the belief that photography can be intimate and political at the same time. Personal in a way, yet collective. But to make it really make sense, you have to look at Greece itself. Because only that way you can understand why Teller in Athens actually creates an emotionally charged encounter between the local and the global. Of course, it’s the birthplace of democracy. But that’s not what I’m talking about. No, I’m talking about the violent protests that happened at the beginning of this year. Hundreds of thousands of people went onto the streets to remember the train accident that happened in February 2023 close to Tembi. And the government's role in it. 

Or, maybe you remember the various occupations of theatres in the same year of that accident – drama students protesting against a government decree that downgraded the diplomas of drama, dance, and music schools to high-school-level certificates, leaving an entire new generation of the creative industry worried about their future. Especially because of that, you are invited by Teller has a very empowering flavour to it. He brings his art to a city where artists are struggling. Welcoming everyone. Inspiring, motivating. Proving that art sets a statement and connects. An industry worth supporting.

I guess the last sentence is something most of Teller’s subjects would agree with. Their colourful sense of style gives them away. And if this article managed to make you more curious, (hopefully) you have time to visit the exhibition until the end of the year. So you better hurry up – plane tickets around Christmas and New Year's are always a bit more expensive.