Horst Wackerbarth

Horst Wackerbarth collects people and their stories. For over 25 years, he has traveled the world with his iconic Red Couch, photographing individuals—young and old, rich and poor, famous and unknown—in their everyday environments. From the icy landscapes of Alaska to South American rainforests, European cities, and Siberian villages, Wackerbarth’s goal is to create a "Gallery of Mankind" where the Red Couch serves as a unifying platform, stage, and symbol of equality.

More than 989 people from 53 countries have sat on the couch, answering universal questions in 54 languages, with the project spanning 17 sub-projects between 1979 and 2016. Praised as one of the most extensive portrait projects worldwide, it has been featured in 11 monographs, over 50 solo exhibitions, and numerous contemporary art collections. The current Red Couch, in use since 1996, bears the marks of its journey—including attacks from lions and polar bears—and remains a work in progress, continuing until the artist’s passing.