m97 Gallery is pleased to present "LIFE IN CITIES" a solo exhibition of new works by Hong Kong/Paris-based German photographer Michael Wolf.

The “LIFE IN CITIES” exhibition comprises four main bodies of Wolf’s most recent works: “A Series of Unfortunate Events”, “Paris Street View”, “Tokyo Compression”, and “Transparent City”.

“A Series of Unfortunate Events” and “Paris Street View” (2009-2010), Wolf’s latest projects, use Google’s online Street View database as raw material, navigating Paris and other cities, capturing a series of classic yet evocative street photos. Wolf’s work further continues his exploration of the glories and humiliations of contemporary urban life, while touching on issues of privacy and the overwhelming volume of information accessible online. Not quite appropriation and not quite privacy infringement, Wolf’s photographs walk a fine line between beauty and discomfort, humor
and fear.

“Tokyo Compression” (2009) captures the crude realities of the rush-hour commute on the crammed Tokyo subway system. Pressed against the subway doors, the passengers react with discomfort to the intrusive presence of the photographer. The “Tokyo Compression” series won 1st prize at the World Press Photo Awards 2009 in the Daily Life category.

“Transparent City” (2007) is Wolf’s first body of work to address an American city. Bringing his unique perspective on changing urban environments to Chicago, a city renowned for its architectural legacy, Wolf chose to photograph the central downtown area, focusing specifically on issues of voyeurism and the contemporary urban landscape in flux.

The “LIFE IN CITIES” exhibition also showcases works from Michael Wolf’s acclaimed “Architecture Of Density” and “Hong Kong Back Door” series, in which Wolf examines the colorful physical landscape of Hong Kong, as well as its visual and sociological complexity.

In addition, two new full-color hard-cover monographs of Michael Wolf’s works will be published in early September in conjunction with the “LIFE IN CITIES” exhibition: "A Series of Unfortunate Events - ASOUE” (72 pages), and "Tokyo Compression" (112 pages).