1959

Born in Lübeck-Travemünde, Germany

1981-89

Studied communication design in Augsburg, specializing in photography

1989-91

Studied philosophy at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich

Awards

2008

LeadAward

2007

Deutscher Fotobuchpreis for Broken Line

2006

Under the Nordic Light nominated for best book at Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie, Arles
Under the Nordic Light nominated for Deutscher Fotobuchpreis/
Grant for the project "Broken Line" from the Kulturwerk VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn

2005

Awarded the photography prize of the Bayerischer Journalisten-Verband

Solo Exhibitions

2015

Land Meets Water, Artipelag, Stockholm
VANISHING ICE, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Ontario
Reading the Landscape, Gallery Robert Morat, Hamburg

2014

Reading the Landscape , Gallery Wouter van Leeuwen, Amsterdam
Reading the Landscape, Gallery f5,6, Munich
Vanishing Ice,
El Paso Museum of Art, Texas 

Seeing Glacial Time, University Art Gallery, Boston 

Alpine and Polar Landscapes in Art 1775–2012,Whatcom Museum, Washington

2012

State of the Art, NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf
Elipsis Gallery, Istanbul Soloshow
Contemporary Art of the Circumpolar North, Anchorage Museum
Das Narrative in der Fotografie, Kunsthaus Kaufbeuren
Down to Earth, Library of Congress, Washington
Gallery Nikolaus Ruzicska, Salzburg

2011

The Altered Landscape, Nevada Museum of Art, Nevada

"Under the Nordic Light, Gallery ,f 5,6, Munich
Alt + 1000 festival de photographie de montagne, Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, Switzerland 

Masterpieces, Galerie Nikolaus Ruzicska, Salzburg

2010

Blue Sky Gallery, Portland
Goethe-Institut, Nancy
Galerie f 5,6, Munich, Germany
Galerie Wouter van Leeuwen, Amsterdam
Galerie RUZICSKA, Salzburg
Tekhne architectes Lyon

2009

Amador Gallery, New York
Northbound, Alfred-Ehrhardt-Stiftung, Cologne
Zeppelin Museum, Friedrichshafen

2008

Gallery f.5.6 Munich, Germany
Cohen Amador Gallery, New York, USA

2007

Stephen Cohen Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
Galerie Münsterland, Emsdetten, Germany

2006

Cohen Amador Gallery, New York, USA
Gallery Hartmann, Munich, Germany
Galerie Münsterland, Emsdetten, Germany

2005

Rotonda, Galerie Thomas Zander, Cologne, Germany

2004

Galerie av, Ludwigsburg, Germany

2003

Galerie Hartmann, Munich, Germany

Group Exhibitions (Selection)

 

2015

Land Meets Water, Artipelag, Stockholm
Reading the Landscape,
Gallery Robert Morat, Hamburg
Konstellationen, Gallery f5,6, Munich, Germany

2014

Reading the Landscape, Gallery Wouter van Leeuwen, Amsterdam
Reading the Landscape, Gallery f5,6, Munich
Vanishing Ice, El Paso Museum of Art, Texas
Seeing Glacial Time, University Art Gallery, Boston
Alpine and Polar Landscapes in Art 1775–2012,Whatcom Museum, Washington

2012

International Photofestival Knokke Heist, Belgium

Ebersberger Kunstverein, Ebersberg

2011

4. Fotofestival Mannheim_Ludwigshafen_Heidelberg; Wilhelm-Hauck-Museum Ludwigshafen

2010

Biennale Internationale de l'Image de Nancy
"Weiss" Kunstverein Kiss, Untergröningen
Breda Photofestival, Museum Breda

Ice/white Kunstverein Kiss, Schloss Untergröningen 

2nd Month of Photography in Lorraine, France 

Goethe Institut Nancy

2009

The National Meseum of Photography, Copenhagen, Denmark
Ulsan International Photography Festival, South Korea
What lies beneath, Foto Week DC, Washington
Galerie Nikolaus Ruzicska, Salzburg
Galerie Marc Hoeppner, Essen, Germany
Arcadia, Clamp Art Gallery, New York
Gradwanderungen, Kunsthaus Kaufbeuren
The AIPAD Photography Show, New York
B-sides, Galerie f 5,6, Munich/München

2008

Keine Angst, Kunstverein Ludwigshafen
New York Photo Festival
Solo Project, Galerie f5,6, Art Basel
Visual Leader 2008, Deichtorhallen Hamburg, Germany

2007

Focus Contemporary, Photography Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
Museum for Photography, Reykjavik, Iceland
Galerie f5,6, Art Cologne

2006

Kunstverein Ebersberg, Germany

2005

Galerie Thomas Zander, Paris Photo
Stuttgarter Fotosommer 2005, Germany

2004

"Wasser in der Kunst. Vom Mittelalter bis heute.", Städtische Galerie Überlingen, Germany

2003

Schaden.com, Paris Photo, France

Public Collections

2007

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art | Kansas City, Missouri, USA

2004

Städtische Galerie Überlingen, Germany

Bibliography (Selection)

2008

Visual Leader 2008, exh. cat. Deichtorhallen Hamburg
"Day of Ascension," The New York Times Magazine, Fall issue
Verschwindende Landschaften/Vanishing Landscapes, Cologne/Köln: DuMont
Daylight Multimedia's January Podcast, www.daylightmagazine.org
A Conversation with Olaf Otto Becker (Conscientious), www.jmcolberg.com

2007

Olaf Otto Becker, Broken line, Publisher Hatje Cantz
Portfolio Presentation Geo

2006

Olaf Otto Becker „Under the nordic light"
Publisher Schaden.com Cologne Germany
(on shortlist Arles, bookprice 2006)

2005

FineArtPrinter, Presentation of Portfolio
SZ Wissen, Presentation of Portfolio
Catalogue of Group exhibition „Stuttgarter Fotosommer 2005"

2004

Catalogue of exhibition Museum Überlingen
"Wasser in der Kunst vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart"