German Museum Halts Bruce Weber Retrospective Amid Allegations of Sexual Misconduct

“We will definitely not show Bruce Weber this year."

Photographer Bruce Weber poses in the winners room after winning the Isabella Blow award for fashion creator at The Fashion Awards 2016 at Royal Albert Hall on December 5, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)

The Deichtorhallen contemporary art center in Hamburg has suspended indefinitely its upcoming Bruce Weber retrospective over allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against the 71-year-old fashion photographer and director.

On Saturday, the New York Times reported that 15 current and former male models who worked with Weber on photo shoots for brands including Calvin Klein and Abercrombie & Fitch accused the photographer of sexual exploitation. The accusations span the length of Weber’s storied 40-year career.

Titled “Far From Home,” the retrospective was scheduled to open in October and was organized by the Hamburger Haus der Photographie, an affiliate of the Deichtorhallen. In an email to artnet News, Deichtorhallen spokeswoman Angelika Leu-Barthel said, “An exhibition planned with Bruce Weber is put on hold until allegations of sexual misconduct against him will be clarified.”

Barthel also told German daily Hamburger Abendblatt that the show would not be rescheduled for 2018: “We will definitely not show Bruce Weber this year.”

The suspension of the exhibition comes after magazine publisher Condé Nast announced its publications would no longer work with Weber.

Weber’s lawyer did not immediately respond to artnet News’s request for comment. However, in a statement to the Times through his lawyer, Weber has denied the accusations. “I’m completely shocked and saddened by the outrageous claims being made against me, which I absolutely deny,” he said.

In lieu of the Weber retrospective, the Haus der Photographie will host an exhibition by the German-American photographer Michael Wolf. The three-time World Press Award winner is known for his documentary photography, which often features scenes from his adopted hometown of Hong Kong, where he has lived for 20 years.


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