A few weeks ago, I received word of an exhibition Jens Hoffmann, the Costa Rican-born and German-educated director of San Francisco’s Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, conceived when he was traveling around Texas, encountering the state’s palpable road culture. He gathered works from a fairly wide group of artists, ranging from Andy Warhol and John Baldessari to Ed Ruscha, Catherine Opie, and Alexis Smith, among others for the exhibition On the Road at San Antonio’s ARTPACE through September 5. If your summer wanderings across the baking Texas asphalt take you past San Antonio, it is worth stopping off and checking out the show. For those who aren’t going to make it on the road this summer, there are some images Hoffmann shot after the jump.

The project reminds me of these photographs by German photographer Peter Granser once featured on Renegade Bus (with text by Barry Vacker). I love seeing this state through the eyes of foreigners, and Germans especially seem to have an affection for our gaping landscapes and the existential minimalism of Texas’ open spaces. Speaking of which, if you want additional Texas road trip inspiration this summer by way of Germany, rent Wim Wenders’ wonderful 1974 film, Alice in the Cities. You can watch some of the lonely road side motel scenes here.

All photos by Jens Hoffmann (Courtesy of ARTPACE)