Hubert Locher

Hubert Locher is a Professor for the History and Theory of Visual Media and Director of the German Documentation Centre for Art History (DDK-Bildarchiv Foto Marburg) at Philipps-Universität Marburg since 2008. He previously held a Professorship in Art History at the State Academy of Art and Design Stuttgart (1999–2008). His research spans theoretical museology, history of art history, 19th-century German painting, photography theory, and Italian Renaissance art.

Locher studied art history and German literature at Fribourg, Berlin, Gießen, and Stuttgart, earning his PhD from the University of Bern (1992) with a thesis on Raphael and Renaissance altarpieces. His habilitation, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (1995–1998), focused on the history and theory of art history, published as Kunstgeschichte als historische Theorie der Kunst (2001). He has held editorial roles at journals like Kunstgeschichte and Rundbrief Fotografie.

Locher's publications and research emphasize the interplay of words and images, photographic history, digital visual culture, and the canon formation in art. His recent work includes the Architecture Transformed book series (2023–2024) on digital architectural imagery. He has collaborated with institutions such as the Getty Research Institute (2013) and Durham University (2015) and co-edits the Transformationen des Visuellen book series.

• Swiss National Science Foundation Grant (1995–1998)
• Guest Scholar at the Getty Research Institute (2013)
• Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Advanced Study, Durham University (2015)
• Member, Academia Europaea (2019–present)
• CIHA (Comité International d'Histoire de l'Art) National Committee (2012–present)

Locher leads the DDK-Bildarchiv Foto Marburg, a critical resource for art historical research, and has shaped academic discourse through editorial and organizational roles, including co-founding the Kunstgeschichte journal and serving as Dean of the Department of German Studies and Art History at Marburg (2021–2023).