This large-scale photograph, part of Ruff’s l.m.v.d.r series, focuses on Villa Tugendhat in Brno, a masterwork of architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s early career, built between 1928 and 1930. Ruff’s interpretation of the villa transcends mere documentation; it becomes an exploration of how modernist ideals can be recontextualised through contemporary photographic practices.

Commissioned to mark the reopening of Mies van der Rohe’s iconic villas, Haus Lange and Haus Esters in Krefeld, Germany, after their renovation, Ruff was tasked with capturing these architectural gems. His approach is far from conventional: instead of relying solely on traditional straight photography, Ruff introduced a combination of analogue and digital manipulation, pushing the boundaries of how architecture could be visually represented. The resulting works, including h.t.b, embody Mies’ philosophy of “not the what but the how”, drawing attention to the methods and processes that define both the construction of the architecture and the image itself.

Ruff’s familiarity with architectural subjects, honed from the mid-1980s, enabled him to approach these iconic buildings with fresh eyes. Villa Tugendhat, with its clean lines, expansive glass windows, and open spaces, is captured in h.t.b with an almost clinical precision that pays homage to Mies’ minimalism, while simultaneously introducing a layer of digital intervention. This manipulation not only enhances the formal qualities of the structure but also invokes the spirit of innovation that is so central to Mies’ oeuvre.

Simultaneously, Terence Riley, curator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, was preparing a major retrospective of Mies van der Rohe’s architecture up to 1938. Ruff’s photographs became integral to this exhibition, offering a contemporary visual interpretation of Mies’ early works. For buildings Ruff could not photograph in person, he cleverly reworked existing imagery, underscoring his ability to transform historical subjects through a modern lens.