Wild distorted faces of boxers, burlesque dancers in ecstasy, marathon runners after the finish, rock musicians in absolute euphoria. Always pretty close. People under power shape Sven Hoffmann’s photographs. But he is not fascinated by the spectacle of a scene; the emotion unleashed in bodies is the true event: the concentrated endurance, the moment of euphoria, laughter or weeping – they are the focus of the images.
When marathon runners reach the finish line after 42 km, the Berlin photographer does not show us the finish line or the body, but looks straight into the athlete’s faces, which burst with pain, exhaustion and happiness at the same time. We always come so close to the people, standing in the middle of the ring, are live on stage and yet always remain invisible observers, who cheer with respectful restraint. Never will your own look become the theme of the photos, the pictures will never look stylistic or voyeuristic, but rather like lovingly staged portraits to remember moments of pride and strength. We experience them all in their vulnerability and greatness as heroes of their own world.
Curiosity, openness and passion are the impulses of these pictures, from which an unbiased relationship to the people speaks. That’s why Sven Hoffmann manages to get pretty close to his motives.
The exhibition “PRETTY CLOSE” shows a printed selection of his pictures.
Sven Hoffmann is a Berlin based photographer. He started working on the film early on, gained background experience as a Producer and Director, and 15 years ago founded the V8 Filmproduktion Berlin. Since then he has realized projects for Beats by Dre, Under Armour, Audi, Bridgestone, Samsung, Sony, MTV, Nike and many more. In addition, he accompanied Bands such as Queens of the Stone Age, Billy Idol, Freundeskreis, Iggy Pop and BossHoss, making long format Music Documentaries.
His photos are taken at rock concerts, sports events and extended motorcycle trips. He has captured charismatic faces and emotionally charged everyday moments in more than 50 countries.