Question 1

True or false: Gursky studied under Bernd and Hilla Becher, the pioneers of typological photography.

Accepted Answer

True. He was a student at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under the Bechers, whose systematic approach deeply influenced his large-scale work.

Question 2

True or false: Gursky's photographs are often printed at sizes exceeding 6 feet in width.

Accepted Answer

True. His prints are famously monumental, sometimes over 6 feet wide, immersing viewers in highly detailed, panoramic scenes.

Question 3

True or false: Gursky's 'Rhein II' sold for over $4 million at auction in 2011.

Accepted Answer

True. In 2011, Andreas Gursky's 'Rhein II' was sold at Christie's for $4.3 million, setting a record for the most expensive photograph at that time.

Question 4

True or false: Gursky won the prestigious Turner Prize in 1999 for his photograph 'Untitled V'.

Accepted Answer

False. Gursky has never won the Turner Prize; it's often awarded to younger British artists, and his work is German-based.

Question 5

True or false: Gursky often digitally removes people from his photographs to create a sense of isolation.

Accepted Answer

True. He frequently uses digital manipulation to eliminate human figures, enhancing the impersonal, overwhelming scale of his subjects.

Question 6

True or false: Gursky's '99 Cent' was the first photograph to be exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art.

Accepted Answer

False. MoMA has exhibited many photographs before '99 Cent'; it's famous for its vibrant colors and consumerism theme, not a first.

Question 7

True or false: Gursky's 'Kuwait Stock Exchange' was banned from display in several Middle Eastern countries.

Accepted Answer

False. There is no record of such a ban; the work is well-known but not controversial enough for censorship in those regions.

Question 8

True or false: Gursky's 'Paris, Montparnasse' was shot entirely from a helicopter without any post-production.

Accepted Answer

False. The image was taken from a high vantage point but heavily digitally manipulated to flatten perspective and remove distracting elements.

Andreas Gursky Trivia Questions