The Flood, Markus Rock's solo exhibition at the BBA Gallery, is a fascinating exploration of water as a life-giving and simultaneously destructive force.
Image gallery
JustMarried._2021_Photograph
BusinessTrip_2021_Photograph
JuliaFloating_2021_Photograph
The series was created in the summer of 2021, shortly before and during the devastating floods in the Ahr Valley, and moves between existential threat and an unwavering celebration of life.
Rock's focus is on the defiant lust for life, although the title and timing suggest an ecological commentary. Water, in its incessant transformation, becomes both motif and medium – sometimes hard and firm, bodies seemingly encased in acrylic, sometimes soft and flowing, contours dissolving into the abstract. Elsewhere, it breaks open, splintering into restless, flickering structures.
Rock's artistic approach is characterised by both contemporary art discourse and art historical references. The motif of water as a simultaneously nurturing and destructive force is reflected in mythological and art historical references - for example in the tragic figure of Ophelia, whose fate in Shakespeare's work has inspired countless visual interpretations.
At the same time, echoes of the enraptured aesthetics of the Pre-Raphaelites and the atmospheric, narrative pictorial worlds of Bill Viola and Gregory Crewdson can be found in his works. His connection to music – in rhythm and emotional depth – also gives his images a dynamic, almost cinematic quality that enhances their narrative power and immersive presence.
The photographs in The Flood have a painterly quality, with meticulous attention paid to the placement of figures and splashes of water. The interplay between movement and stasis creates compositions that sometimes tend towards the abstract or gestural, while at other times remaining figuratively grounded. The water itself becomes a brushstroke, transforming and distorting the human form, capturing fleeting moments when chaos and silence merge into a flowing, multi-layered vision.
Markus Rock was born in Solingen, Germany. He began his career as a make-up artist, stylist and production designer before discovering photography as his preferred means of expression.
After more than 25 years working with international top clients such as Vivienne Westwood, Harper's Bazaar, Madame, Levi's, MTV and Sony Music in San Francisco, Munich, Paris and Barcelona, he moved to Berlin in 2008. Since then, he has devoted himself primarily to the production of fine art photography.
At the centre of his photographic work is always the question of what it means to be human in today's society.
As part of the Month of Photography OFF-Berlin, The Flood invites visitors to confront the fragile balance of life, to embrace its light and dark sides – and ultimately to celebrate its irrepressible vitality.
Rock's focus is on the defiant lust for life, although the title and timing suggest an ecological commentary. Water, in its incessant transformation, becomes both motif and medium – sometimes hard and firm, bodies seemingly encased in acrylic, sometimes soft and flowing, contours dissolving into the abstract. Elsewhere, it breaks open, splintering into restless, flickering structures.
Rock's artistic approach is characterised by both contemporary art discourse and art historical references. The motif of water as a simultaneously nurturing and destructive force is reflected in mythological and art historical references - for example in the tragic figure of Ophelia, whose fate in Shakespeare's work has inspired countless visual interpretations.
At the same time, echoes of the enraptured aesthetics of the Pre-Raphaelites and the atmospheric, narrative pictorial worlds of Bill Viola and Gregory Crewdson can be found in his works. His connection to music – in rhythm and emotional depth – also gives his images a dynamic, almost cinematic quality that enhances their narrative power and immersive presence.
The photographs in The Flood have a painterly quality, with meticulous attention paid to the placement of figures and splashes of water. The interplay between movement and stasis creates compositions that sometimes tend towards the abstract or gestural, while at other times remaining figuratively grounded. The water itself becomes a brushstroke, transforming and distorting the human form, capturing fleeting moments when chaos and silence merge into a flowing, multi-layered vision.
Markus Rock was born in Solingen, Germany. He began his career as a make-up artist, stylist and production designer before discovering photography as his preferred means of expression.
After more than 25 years working with international top clients such as Vivienne Westwood, Harper's Bazaar, Madame, Levi's, MTV and Sony Music in San Francisco, Munich, Paris and Barcelona, he moved to Berlin in 2008. Since then, he has devoted himself primarily to the production of fine art photography.
At the centre of his photographic work is always the question of what it means to be human in today's society.
As part of the Month of Photography OFF-Berlin, The Flood invites visitors to confront the fragile balance of life, to embrace its light and dark sides – and ultimately to celebrate its irrepressible vitality.
- Opening: Friday, 28 February, 6–9 pm
- Artist talk: Saturday, 1 March, 12 noon
Additional information
Gallery Opening Hours
Tuesday - Saturday
12:00 - 18:00
Tuesday - Saturday
12:00 - 18:00
