Anton Corbijn -- "Mortals" at photokina

stern magazine and the Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn are currently working together on the preparation of a large photographic exhibition to be presented during photokina 2004 (September 28 to October 3) in the Visual Gallery in Hall 7 of the Cologne exhibition center. This marks the second time that stern is presenting the photographic highlight at the world's largest trade fair for the imaging sector.

Tom Jacobi, art director of stern magazine, says: "Anton Corbijn is one of the most important style-forming photographers of our time. His unmistakable photos of well-known stars from the music and art scene have become just as famous as the artists themselves. We're proud to be able to present "Mortals," which was expressly conceived for the Visual Gallery, at photokina 2004."

Corbijn began taking photos of celebrities from the worlds of music, film and art in the 1970s, and has since then created a new era of celebrity photography that is restrained, up-front and extremely personal. Corbijn's pictures bear his distinctive visual mark, which is instantly recognizable, and often present the superstars on the borderline between their glamorous images and their true selves. His portraits of stars such as Miles Davis, David Bowie, Björk, Allen Ginsberg, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra and U2 (whose portraits he has been taking for 22 years) have earned Corbijn international renown and made him a superstar in his own right.

The Visual Gallery will be a spectacular photography show featuring the finest works by renowned professional photographers and up-and-coming young talents. The show will occupy 3,000 square meters of exhibition space in Hall 7 at photokina . The gallery's organizer is the Bilder.Bilder association, which was founded by photokina's organizers -- Koelnmesse GmbH and Prophoto GmbH -- for the promotion of photography. The Visual Gallery will be open every day until 7:00 p.m. It is open not only to trade visitors, but also to the general public via a separate entrance to Hall 8. Admission is free of charge.

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