Born in Heidelberg (Germany) in 1963, Markus Hansen studied in the UK at Reading University and now lives and works in London. Contemporary echoes of German cultural history, which he subjects to an oblique, discreetly humorous vision, are one of the critical objects of his work. He is particularly interested in the period after the Second World War and the political and emotional impact of its traumas, which continue to be passed on from members of one generation to another. Some of his videos and photographic works explore the indirect, non-verbal connections that develop between people as a result of their shared experiences.

In Other people’s feelings are also my own (2001–2003), Markus Hansen exacerbates the play of identification between the photographer and his subject. To each of his portraits of people of all kinds of ages and backgrounds, he adds his own, showing him doing his best to reproduce their posture and facial expression, thereby forming a diptych. Emotional resemblance becomes more important than physical characteristics, with singularities fading in favour of total empathy. As Hansen says, “These portraits are about how we inhabit each other, reside in each other, and how we always leave traces in each other.” From the start, his work has been exhibited in two different forms: photographic prints and video shows.

Julie Champion, 2020