Jürgen Grosse - (DE)

Jürgen Große (*1962, †2026, Berlin) describes himself as a city photographer. He has been documenting Berlin photographically since the early 1980s, focusing on graffiti and urban art since the 1990s. He ran the project space “Urban Art Info” and published the seminal book Urban Art Photography in 2008.

By “the city,” Große meant almost exclusively Berlin. His birthplace and place of life undoubtedly had a major influence on the aesthetic of his work. For more than 20 years, Jürgen documented unusual urban scenes and situations that others would pass by without noticing. A master of observation, he used his traditional film camera to capture the urban landscape and its transformation—scenes that often appear nonsensical at first glance. His passion for graffiti began in the 1990s with “Streichbombings” (roll-up/roll-down). For years, he photographically documented their emergence, existence, and eventual disappearance.

Today, his subjects are primarily moments that arise independently and by chance. These might include traces left behind at construction sites by workers, which often appear so absurd that they raise questions. What others might perceive as destroyed, damaged, or unattractive appealed to Jürgen Große. He had the ability to transform such situations into something autonomous—to create photography that ceases to be merely documentary and instead becomes an independent work of art.
Text: Alena Drahokoupilová

For decades, Große played an influential role in Berlin’s graffiti scene, documenting works and interventions in public space. His focus was particularly on lesser-known forms of urban art. Alongside graffiti, he photographed unusual situations and structures within Berlin’s urban environment.

In 2002, Große founded the project space Urban Art Info in Berlin. There, he exhibited works by artists from the international urban art scene, including positions by Banksy, Swoon, Blek Le Rat, Honet, Oz, and Erosie.

As a photographer, Große documented Berlin’s writing scene and its works in public space. In 2008, he published Urban Art Photography, which became an important photographic document of Berlin’s urban art scene at the time.

Temporary Urban-Jürgen-Platz in Kreuzberg

Große also played a special role in the urban art project City of Names, which was created in 2005 on Kreuzberg’s Mariannenplatz as part of the exhibition Backjumps – The Live Issue #2. One of the project’s central locations was named “Urban-Jürgen-Platz” at the time. In addition to his work as a photographer and gallerist, Große also provided practical support to artists working on projects in public space.

According to people close to him, Große was terminally ill and chose to end his life on August 15. He leaves behind a daughter, an extensive photographic archive, as well as a collection of works by international artists and objects from Berlin’s urban environment.
Text: Monopol