Merlin Bauer | Grand Tour

The Grand Tour is considered the origin of tourism and, since the Renaissance, has taken young aristocrats on a journey through Europe

The Grand Tour is considered the origin of tourism and, since the Renaissance, has taken young aristocrats on a journey through Europe: a journey of self-discovery! When photographer and conceptual artist Merlin Bauer now presents a series of works under this title, he travels through our European cities and landscapes with a sober eye. What state have we left them in? How does the new relate to the existing? Bauer’s works examine these installations: fences, billboards, and skyscrapers; asphalt roads; box-shaped residential clusters resembling standardized caves; staked-out building volumes; and artificial rocks. They also explore the boundaries between order and uncontrolled growth, along with their structures and surfaces. In the tradition of the Grand Tour, they thus stimulate curiosity and invite exploration.“ Dr. Jörg Biesler (Deutschlandfunk / WDR)