Every...Bernd and Hilla Becher Spherical Type Gasholder 2004

Editor: So, this is Idris Khan's "Every...Bernd and Hilla Becher Spherical Type Gasholder" from 2004, a photograph. It has a blurred effect and the color palette feels limited, hovering between blacks and grays, producing a very solemn mood. What stands out to you when you look at this work? Curator: It’s interesting how Khan layers photographic images of the Becher’s gasholders to evoke memory. Bernd and Hilla Becher meticulously documented these industrial structures, right? By layering multiple images, Khan seems to compress time, superimposing numerous viewpoints and moments. This visual layering evokes not just the physical structure of the gasholder, but its cultural memory – its endurance and significance as a symbol of industrial history. Do you see how the geometry of the sphere almost becomes spectral through the photographic layering? Editor: I see what you mean. It’s there, but also not quite fully present. Does this relate to why you describe it as 'cultural memory'? Curator: Yes, the blurred effect contributes to this. The haziness transforms the structure into an almost archetypal form. Think about how certain forms—circles, spirals, pyramids—appear across cultures and throughout history, carrying symbolic weight. The gasholder here, deconstructed and reassembled, hints at such deeper, more universal symbolic meanings related to containers, boundaries, and even the cyclical nature of industry itself. What feeling does it evoke in you? Editor: The idea of cultural memory helps me move past my first impression. There is a melancholy that perhaps connects to how industry shaped our world and how time reshapes industrial structure too. Thank you, I wouldn't have noticed it at first. Curator: Exactly! The piece is more than just an image of a gasholder; it’s a meditation on time, memory, and the enduring power of symbols.