Thomas Ruff: Photography's Future is "Shit"?

Ahead of a major retrospective at Paris Photo, acclaimed artist Thomas Ruff shared a critical perspective on the future of photography. The 68-year-old artist, speaking from his Düsseldorf studio, suggested that "99 percent of photography in the future is just shit posted on social media." However, Ruff remains optimistic that photography itself will persist, comparing its enduring nature to that of painting.

Ruff's nearly five-decade career has been characterized by constant experimentation across various genres, including portraiture, landscapes, and conceptual photography. He studied at the prestigious Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under Bernd and Hilla Becher, initially adhering to their objective, black-and-white approach. Yet, Ruff soon diverged, embracing color and questioning photography's inherent truthfulness, notably in his early "Porträts" series.

Throughout his career, Ruff has explored appropriated imagery and digital manipulation. Works like "Sterne (Stars)" (1989-1992) and "jpegs" (2004-2022) demonstrate his willingness to relinquish traditional notions of authorship and engage with readily available digital content. His recent series, such as "expériences lumineuses" (2024-), continue to investigate the evolving capabilities of photographic technology.

Ruff views AI as merely the "latest tool," capable of producing potentially "boring" images unless guided by an intelligent hand. He concludes that technology is secondary to the intellectual outcome, stating, "Technology doesn't matter. It is there to create the image. The outcome, that has to be intellectually interesting." He firmly believes photography will "live forever."

The retrospective, "Thomas Ruff: In Series: 1979-2024," opens at David Zwirner Los Angeles on November 13th, 2026. Paris Photo runs from November 12th to 15th, 2026.