LFI Magazine 5/2019 E

Pascal Dusapin

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Cédric Gerbehaye

Luis Cobelo

Till Brönner

Paul Wolff

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1 0 2 | L f i . G a ll e r y

9 0 | Leica M-E

At the LFI Gallery, over 25 000 photographers present over half a million images. Included this time: a curious hare, and an astronaut in Venice

Created in the image of the Leica M240 and the M-P240, the Leica M-E is the most affordable introduction to the world of rangefinder photography in Leica’s history

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A meandering pattern of silvergrey lines on a black trim creates a look of elegant sophistication

1 1 2 | F e s t i va l s

Till Brönner: from the Melting Pott series (page 38)

La Gacilly, Brittany & Baden; Cortona on the Move; Photo España, Madrid; Les Rencontres de la Photographie, Arles 114 | exhibitions

9 8 | Hu aw e i P 3 0 p r o The Leica Quad Camera in Huawei’s P30 Pro has been hailed as the best smartphone camera currently on the market. We have put the ingenious masterpiece to the test

Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler 8 | Light and Shadow

An exhibition and a book commemorating the work of the two Leica pioneers – a retrospective

Cédric Gerbehaye 2 4 | L i t h i um f e v e r

Mining one of the most sought-after raw materials today, in one of the most impressive landscapes in the world

Anthracite body with black leather trim: the new Leica M-E

Till Brönner 3 8 | M e lt i n g P o t t

Idiosyncratic motifs between heavy industry and settled landscapes in the Ruhr district

Luis Cobelo 5 2 | Z u r um B át i c o

Where monkeys predict the future and chickens lay golden eggs: a fantastical journey to Latin America

Pascal Dusapin 6 8 | T r av e ll i n g t h e w o r l d

Sally Mann, Paris; Ed van der Elsken, Rotterdam; Garry Winogrand, New York; Gordon Parks, Los Angeles 1 1 5 | L e i c a G a ll e r i e s The programme for Leica Galleries around the world, including Jürgen Schadeberg in Prague and Ara Güler in Vienna 116 | Books New publications by Vladimir Antaki, John Peter Askew, Alex Majoli, Gustavo Minas and Toby Binder 1 1 8 | I n t e rv i e w We spoke with the photography duo RongRong&Inri, founders of the Three Shadows Center of Photography in Beijing 122 | my picture A greeting from above – a surprising encounter at the Rainbow Gathering 1 2 2 | i mp r i n t

Contrasts and contours, structures and textures: a meditation in black and white

Michael Paniccia 76 | T h e I n n o c e n t s

Magical, flashy and surreal: a courageous interplay of colours and spaces

Cover: Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler; Alfred Tritschler, Canary Islands, 1933

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L F I .G a ll e r y

W h e n t h e W e at h e r i s h ot A N e w C h a ll e n g e at t h e L F I .G a ll e r y

Mono block in relaxed mode. Captured by Michael Schafter

For some time now the LFI Gallery has been calling for works dedicated to certain subjects. Our photo editors check all the submissions to these ‘challenges’, make a selection and then honour some of them in the LFI blog. After the ‘Live on Stage’ challenge showed that you are able to take outstanding photographs in low-light conditions, and your images revealed an eye for the essential within the context of the ‘Macro’ challenge, we now have the ‘Summer’ challenge, which asks for any pictures related to the loveliest time of the year.

What connects you personally to summer? What feelings does this time of year arouse in you? When thinking of capturing the summer in photographs, what ideas come to your mind? Mark your best pictures with the hashtag #Summer and upload them into the LFI Gallery. We are looking forward to seeing what you come up with. You can find more information at www.lfi.gallery

C o n t r i bu t 0 r s

In recent years the trumpet player had to step back a bit, because a new photo project had stepped to the forefront: Till Brönner travelled around the Ruhr district with his camera, on behalf of the Museum Küppersmühle in Duisburg. The only pity is that his work days could not be doubled to accommodate his double talent. In fact, time became even tighter shortly before the opening of the exhibition, as he looked to visit as many interesting locations as possible in the so-called Melting Pott.

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Lu i s C o b e lo “I read the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude for the first time when I was twelve years old. Over the following thirty years I must have read it on at least ten additional occasions. Then, in 2007, I travelled to Aracataca, the town where the author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, was born.

During that visit, I took pictures that ended up being published ten years later in my book, Zurumbático. That journey changed my life – when it was time to return home, I knew that I would be coming back.”

M i c h a e l Pa n i c C i a

Photographer Michael Paniccia works primarily on fashion series – though, while doing so, he always makes sure to do justice to his artistic streak as well. In his series, The Innocents, produced exclusively for Leica in a private garden in the US state of Connecticut, he was able to really let go.

“The Innocents grew organically, just like the park.” While he likes to make plans, he is also open to improvisation and situations that arise by chance as part of an interaction with the creative resources available.

Photos: © Till Brönner, © Junior Villalón, © Michael Paniccia

T i ll B r ö n n e r

u n l i m i t e d Welcome to a new world of possibilities: the L-Mount, developed by Leica Camera, marks the start of a new era of creative freedom. Never before has one lens mount standard allowed for an almost limitless array of options in combining different interchangeable lenses with cameras featuring different sensor formats. Leica Camera, Panasonic and Sigma are set to offer a user-friendly solution that will allow photographers to ‘mix and match’ any of the three manufacturers’ APS-C and full-frame cameras with any lens from each other’s product portfolios. Regardless of which combination you might choose: virtually all functional and qualitative characteristics of each respective system will be fully retained.

The L-Mount thereby opens up an almost limitless spectrum of new creative possibilities.

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An Alliance by

LEica Event

E r n s t L e i tz M u s e u m Op e n i n g C e r e m o n y

A window like a gigantic viewfinder – an architectural homage to Leica.

Fred Mortagne photographed the museum in 2018

The opening ceremony of the Ernst Leitz Museum in Wetzlar will take place on 27 June, 2019. In 2018, the Leitz Park saw the completion of the building designed by architects from Frankfurt. Marking the museum’s grand launch is the first retrospective of the work of Dr. Paul Wolff & Alfred Tritschler, curated by HansMichael Koetzle (more on page 8).

Reiner Packeiser has been running the venue since the end of 2018, and hopes to develop it into a “central, 6 |

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cultural institution of national and international brilliance”. The Code of Ethics of the International Council of Museums – the acquisition, preservation, research, introduction and exhibition of photography, photographic art and photographic technology – are at the core of the work.

In addition to displays of photography, the exhibition space will also house projects dedicated to Leica’s corporate history, and to the technological aspects of photography. The exhibi-

tion organisers aim to engage with current photography-related questions, as well as photo-historical subjects. Collaborations with leading experts, museums, galleries and collectors, ensure a lively interaction with international cultural institutions. Leica Camera AG Wetzlar is the initiator and main sponsor of the Ernst Leitz Museum.

Opening of the Ernst Leitz Museum: 27 June 2019; Am Leitz-Park 6, 35578 Wetzlar. For further information: ernst-leitz-museum.de

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L e i c A Cl a s s i c

Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler L I G H T AN D SHA D O W

They were pioneers of the Leica: outstanding reportage and commercial photographers, and they were deeply caught up in the political tide of events. An exhibition and book present the work of both photographers in a breadth never seen before. LFI offers an initial insight.

A clear image with composed elegance is typical for many of Paul Wolff’s pictures. This photo was taken at the opening of the Opel swimming pool in Wiesbaden, 1934

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Sports and leisure pleasure in Paul Wolff's oeuvre: gymnastics and games at the beach on Norderney, 1934 (left); a commercial picture for Dunlop with Alfred Tritschler as the protagonist, 1929 (bottom left); Wangerooge, 1935 (bottom right); at the beach in Pesaro Italy, 1934 (right). Following pages: A still life in the New Photography style, around 1929 (left); Something has happened, a picture by Alfred Tritschler, showing Paul Wolff at the bottom left (right)

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Commercial and city images by Paul Wolff (clockwise from the top left): German autobahn with Opel, 1938; rooftop idyll at the BruchfeldstraĂ&#x;e residential area in Frankfurt 1927; a portrait of Paul Wolff from around 1930; Old City, Frankfurt on the Main, 1928; the Hotel zur Sonne, Offenburg 1935

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Technology presented in monumental pictures: Mechanical spinning and weaving mill Augsburg, 1937 (top left); hydroelectric power generators at Siemens-Schuckert, Berlin, 1936 (bottom right); Paul Wolff as cameraman and documentary film maker, Frankfurt on the Main, 1929 (top right). Left page: Self-portrait by Paul Wolff taken with a Leica, from the GrimselpaĂ&#x; series, 1931

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Clockwise from the top left: Rhein-Main Airport 1936; catapult aircraft S. S. Bremen, 1932; Alfred Tritschler and Bertha Beiger around 1931; German autobahn, 1933; construction of the new Zeppelin hangar at the Frankfurt on the Main airfield, 1935. Next pages: New York from above, 1932 (left); New York, from the Traffic series, 1932 (right)

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D r . Pau l W o l f f & Tritschler Born in Mulhouse on 19 February 1887, Paul Wolff studied medicine up until 1913 (Doctorate in 1914). After the First World War he worked in film and as a photographer, met Oskar Barnack in 1921, and acquired his first two Leicas in 1926. His standard work, My Experiences with the Leica, was published in 1932. In 1934 he co-founded a business with Alfred Tritschler, who had worked for him since 1927.

Born on 12 June 1905, Alfred Tritschler trained in photography in his town of birth, Offenburg, then studied Photo Technology in Munich as of 1924. In 1927 he applied for a job with Wolff, later became part owner, and after Wolff’s death on 10 April 1951, continued to run the company. On New Year’s Eve 1970, Tritschler passed away. The company had already been taken over by his nephew since 1963.

D R. Paul WO L FF & T r i ts c h l er: LIGHT AN D SHAD OW – PHOTOG RAPHS f ro m 1 9 2 0 TO 1 95 0

464 pages, 1000 images, 24 × 29 cm, Kehrer Verlag. Texts: Sabine Hock, Randy Kaufman, Hans-Michael Koetzle, Kristina Lemke, Günter Osterloh, Tobias Picard, Gerald Piffl, Shun Uchibayashi, Thomas Wiegand Exhibition: from 28 June, 2019, to 26 January, 2020, at the Ernst Leitz Museum, Wetzlar

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In the 1930s, Paul Wolff and Alfred Tritschler were among the most successful photographers in Germany.

Their oevre is calculated at around 700 000 pictures. A critical revision and overhaul to fill the gaping hole in German photographic history was long overdue, and is now dealt with in the exhibition and book, Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler. Light and Shadow – Photographs from 1920 to 1950, put together by Hans-Michael Koetzle. It is without a doubt, an exciting new chapter, as their work spanned the innovative transformation of the Weimar Republic, the era of National Socialism, the Second World War, and on to the post-war period of reconstruction.

Within this, the role played by the photographers in the establishment and assertion of 35mm technology, particularly with the Leica, should not be underestimated. As an organised part of a modern media, they focused on the printed image: around 1930 there was not a newspaper, not an illustrated magazine that did not include pictures by Wolff and Tritschler. The form and aesthetics the photographers used moved between convention and New Objectivity, homeland style and New Vision.

This meant a comprehensive range of subjects: everything from working environments to leisure amusements, technology to architecture, travel reportage to advertisements. The centre of the photographers’ work was Frankfurt on the Main, where documenting the historic city was as significant as the innovative city planning of

the New Frankfurt in the twenties, and further on to the reconstruction of the metropolis after it was destroyed by war. Looking at the overall picture, there were quite a few contradictions that defined Wolff and Tritschler’s work. Oscillating between service provision and artistic demands, avant-garde and adaptation, their oeuvre is now being rediscovered in all its fullness. We spoke with the photography historian and Leica connoisseur Hans-Michael Koetzle, about the painstaking research and this complex project.

LFI: A revision of the work by Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler seems overdue. Why has it taken so long?

Hans-Michael Koetzle: There are a number of reasons. First of all, Wolff is hard to categorise. As an autodidact and photographic amateur, he was one of the most successful professionals of the late twenties and the thirties.

He was a smart businessman at the same time as a photographic artist with aesthetic expectations. In addition, there is the sheer mass of material: Wolff covered every conceivable genre of imagery. Aesthetically speaking, he moved within the terrain of a fading artistic photography, as well as that of the New Vision; he photographed in the spirit of New Objectivity only to distance himself from the idea a short while later. In summary, Wolff represents a big paradox. Our world loves to order things in their right place.

It was precisely this ambivalence that we took on as a challenge.

A lot was destroyed in the war, most of the newspapers no longer exist.

Where did the material come from?

Wolff distributed his work widely across agencies such as Schostal, Ullstein and Mauritius. This is why large amounts of original prints have survived over the years. Furthermore, files are found in company archives, documents in private possession or public collections, such as the Institut für Stadtgeschichte Frankfurt or the Staatsarchiv Bremen. In addition, there is an unpublished autobiography,

our research that his part in the Wolff & Tritschler brand has become clear for the first time.

Photos: Alfred Tritschler, Hindenburg Zeppelin flight, 1936; Alfred Tritschler, from the series, The Lady. Big Heads, 1931, with Hedwig Haegely modelling; portrait of Paul Wolff (around 1930)

traces in the press, his books and a series of letters spread far and wide. It is a large mosaic with, I admit, empty patches. Even so, after years of research, it offers up a clear picture.

Wolff was obviously the right character to make the Leica popular.

Was he an avant-gardist, an apologist or a clever marketing strategist?

Wolff was all of this at the same time: an avant-gardist during the early acknowledgement of Leica; a muchappreciated apologist with his richly illustrated guides, exceptionally printed and translated into many languages. Above all My Experience with the Leica. Finally, he was a clever marketing strategist by making the Leica a firm fixture for the Wolff & Tritschler brand. He created a great narrative around the Leica, using photographs but also written material, teaching and making presentations.

This omnipresence certainly made him unique for his times.

What role did Alfred Tritschler – who is frequently overseen – play?

Contrary to Wolff, Tritschler received a solid training at the Photography School in Munich – next to Willy Zielke, by the way. He was younger, probably more developed technically, and a brilliant photographer. The really lively pictures were taken by Tritschler, such as those taken from the flying Zeppelin; his name was also associated with ski and water sports. Even so, he was and will always remain the second man in the company founded by Wolff.

It is thanks to the dedication of

Dealing with the picture media that arose during the Nazi era, still appears to be sensitive. Could Wolff be a sample case for a review of contemporary and political history?

Without a doubt, Wolff and Tritschler were part of a historical continuum, nominal members like so many, trying to survive in a closed system. Many of Wolff’s pictures, largely taken by the way during the idyllic innocence preceding 1933, were included in propaganda literature at the time, though it

was often relabelled by the publishers to suit their politics, as we show with a series of selected examples.

In fact, neither Wolff nor Tritschler – in contrast to Lothar Rübelt or Walter Hege – were party members, but they were dependable service providers, when it was a matter of illustrating the performance capabilities of the wartime economy – an aspect that we consciously focus on in both the book and the exhibition.

Modernity, traditionalism and conservatism are piled on top of each other in Wolff’s work. Are there discoveries worth mentioning?

One could conceive of three further, completely different exhibitions dedicated to Wolff and Tritschler. One would cover the subject of homeland photography, such as calendar pages.

Another describing Wolff as a service provider; in other words, in advertising, or in the technically trailblazing, though not always ideologically free, industrial photography. Yet another placing Wolff as a representative

of modernity, with an amazing fresh look at the world, a lively imagery based on handicraft. Precisely in this regard, we have discovered significant material in the legacy remaining in Offenburg – photo-grammes included.

What are the strengths (and weaknesses) found in Wolff’s oeuvre?

The strengths of the company Dr. Paul Wolff & Tritschler, are, at the same times, the weaknesses of its photographic authors: quite simply, it served every conceivable subject, so that as far as Wolff is concerned, it is impossible to see a clear ‘image’. In matters of transportation and technology – specifically ocean steam ships, aeroplanes and Zeppelins, Wolff and Tritschler were masterful. With the industrial photography he began practising in 1930, Wolff opened up a whole new chapter.

We will also dedicate ourselves to his photographic contribution to the New Frankfurt as of 1927.

What traces has Wolff left behind on German photographic history?

His influence on 35mm photography in the thirties and forties is hard to beat. Wolff was omnipresent in journals, in magazines, and through his books. His imagery, with its modern approach and technical perfection, has influenced a number of generations of ambitious amateurs. As prominent as he was during his lifetime, so completely was he forgotten after his death in 1951. In fact, it is only a recent interest in vintage books, historic, original editions, that has drawn the attention back to Wolff. In reality, it was through the printed image that he tried to distinguish himself. In this regard, he was definitely part of the media modernity that was established after 1920s.

Interview: Ulrich Rüter

Hans-Michael Koetzle , renowned author and curator, has published numerous standard works on photography, and curated exhibitions such as Eyes Wide Open! 100 Years of Leica.

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LITHIUM fever LeicA Q

Cédric Gerbehaye

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Thanks to the enormous quantities of the light metal, lithium, in the salt pans of Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia’s government sees a golden age ahead and already considers itself among the global, economic elite of the future. But the road to get there remains a long one. A report on a promising raw material found in one of the most impressive places on earth.

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Salar de Uyuni was once an enormous lake that dried out completely around 10 000 years ago. Above: Workers during salt production. Top: During the rainy season, the ground turns into a natural mirror lFI

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The raw material for producing lithium is gained in the artificial evaporation basins of the Planta Llipi pilot installation

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Lithium mining mammoth project: The pictures were taken in the so-called Lithium Triangle between Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. Gerbehay wants to offer a glimpse at the future of commodity markets lFI

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The miners contribute considerably to increasing Bolivia’s economic achievements.

At an altitude of 3600 metres, they work for 28 days then have a week off

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After countless Bolivians died under Spanish control of the silver mines in PotosĂ­, lithium mining is set to remain completely in Bolivian hands lFI

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The country’s hoped-for increase in prosperity thanks to lithium, still lies in the distant future: the climatic and geographic conditions complicates the mining immensely

C ĂŠ d r i c G e r b e h ay e Born in Belgium in 1977, the photojournalist concentrates on conflicts with global impact.

Gerbehaye received a number of awards for his Congo in Limbo photographic essay, including the World Press Photo Award and the Amnesty International Media Award. His long-term project on the exploitation of natural resources will soon appear as a book, and will also head out as a touring exhibition.

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White salt, dazzling light, thin air: there are few places in the world that compare to Salar de Uyuni. What was once a gigantic lake with an island in the middle has been turned, by thousands of years of drought in southern Bolivia, into the largest and highest altitude salt pan in the world. During daylight hours, the glaring white of the reflected sunlight burns the eyes; at night temperatures drop to below freezing – considerably poor conditions for the long-term survival of people and animals. Yet the 10 000 square-kilometre area is, in fact, of immense significance to the Bolivian economy. The drivers behind this are not tourism, nor the many thousands of tonnes of salt that are mined each year, but the enormous reserves of lithium that make Salar de Uyuni a treasure trove.

According to different estimates, it is suspected that somewhere between five and ten million tonnes of the coveted light metal are located in the ground. After processing, lithium finds its way into our telephones, laptops and electric car batteries, and is also a necessary ingredient in medicines, glassmaking and ceramic glazes.

The hype around electro-mobility, and the requirement of citizens in the western world to own the most recent model of smartphone, have resulted in a dramatic increase in the price of lithium over recent years – even so, demand also continues to rise.

Salar de Uyuni is a photographer’s paradise: the brightly radiant salt crust, the intense blue sky, the reflective surfaces during the rainy season, offer more than enough motifs to fill many a photo book. The Belgian photographer, Cédric Gerbehaye, is not satisfied with just that however; he travelled there to document the mining of lithium. Beforehand, he had already spent time in Potosí, where he captured the silver mining operations in rich black and white images (LFI 1/2017, page 8).

Having quasi-explored the roots of

capitalism there, he then headed to the salt pan to continue his project, training his camera on one of the resources currently in highest demand around the world. In addition to travelling to the south of Bolivia, his journey also took him to neighbouring Chile’s Atacama Desert, and the Argentinian province of Jujuy. Together with Salar de Uyuni, these locations make up the so-called lithium triangle, suspected to contain between 50 and 75 percent of the world’s lithium reserves.

“Though the landscape in this part of the world is unique, I knew that it would be difficult to visualise the mining and processing of lithium in an adequate manner,” Gerbehaye asserts. He wants to risk a glimpse into the future. If you listen to the Bolivian government, the future looks bright: their long-term goal is to mine 15 000 tonnes of lithium a year – an enormous leap considering that in 2016 and 2017, the region only produced 16 and 68 tonnes respectively.

President Evo Morales sees the country, where 40 percent of the inhabitants still currently live below the poverty level, rising as a global economic power in a few years. He sees lithium mining as a way to pull his country out of its economic crisis – a country having difficulties freeing itself from a past defined by oppression and military dictatorships. “Bolivia has invested around a billion euros into the mining of lithium – assuming that the light metal will be as important for electric cars as oil currently is for combustion engines,” the photographer reports. “It’s as though Bolivia’s politicians want to turn the country into the Saudi Arabia of lithium, despite the fact that its lithium mining is currently less productive than that of its neighbours.”

The government is now trying to catch up with what they missed out on in previous years due to restrictive mining policies. The miners Gerbehaye photographed work under the toughest conditions, and are proud of it. “At 3600 metres in altitude, they have to use special gear to protect themselves from the strong ultra-violet rays,” the photographer explains. “They work for 28 days,

then have one week free.” They accept these exertions to support the hope of a future defined by growth and prosperity. The whole country appears to have embraced lithium fever. Too often, however, those involved fail to see the consequences: enormous quantities of water are required for the mining, which in the long run will be a problem for the people living in an area where water is already in short supply.

The heavy rain-fall during the rainy season does nothing to change this: on the contrary, it increases the magnesium content in the soil, which makes the mining of lithium more difficult in comparison to Argentina or Chile, because the evaporation process to obtain the coveted metal takes longer, and also leaves behind more magnesium waste product.

“The negative impact of lithium mining is considerable at both the ecological and social levels,” the photographer explains. “Mineral resources are at the heart of the political debate and, in the end, rich industrial countries of the western world look to exploit poorer countries.” Despite the bright colours in his pictures, the future of Bolivia lies under a grey veil of uncertainty.

It is one of many paradoxes that first reveal themselves when taking a second look at the semantics of Gerbehaye’s imagery: confidence and poverty, dependency and pride, tradition and progress, freedom and oppression – all these contradictions lie side by side. In this manner, just through his photographs, Gerbehaye manages to question our own role in this cycle of habitual consumerism – consequently achieving something that, in the best case, might represent a small step towards a fairer world. Danilo Rössger LFI -On lin e .DE/B log: SLIDESHOW with more pictures by cédric gerbehaye Equipment: Leica Q,

Summilux 28 f/1.7 Asph

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Till Brönner M E LT IN G P O T T

More than just coal and football: with good humour and dignity, Till Brönner dedicates his latest project to the Ruhr district, and above all to the people of this unique area of Germany.

At the start of a carnival parade in Essen, February 2018; the large ‘Tiger & Turtle’ sculpture, Duisburg, 2018 (right)

Photographer meets musician: Wilhelm ‘Trompeten Willy’ Plenkers is the official trumpeter at the FC Schalke 04 Stadium, and cannot miss any match (above); the portrait of a punk in front of the Alfred Krupp memorial was one of the first motifs taken for the series, Essen, 2018 (right)

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The Earls motorbike club, Bochum, 2019. Next page: Schalke 04 fans at the stadium’s north stand (left), ‘Schalker Meile’ (right), both Gelsenkirchen 2019

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Patience and leisure for the perfect look: the Pudelparadies dog salon in Essen-Rßttenscheid – an institution for over sixty years, 2019

Looking towards a backdrop of moving clouds: the Friedrich-Alfred Krupp monument in the park of the Villa Hügel, Essen 2018 (left); in 2011, the walkable roller coaster of the large ‘Tiger & Turtle – Magic Mountain’ sculpture was opened in a former mine dump, becoming a landmark visible from afar, Duisburg 2018 (right); fan culture for the club, Dortmund 2019 (next page)

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Photos: © Till Brönner

T i ll B r ö n n e r was born in Viersen on 6 May 1971. He was given his first trumpet when he was nine, and by twenty he was a member of the RIAS Big Band. He is one of the most successful jazz musicians of our times. In 2015, his book, Faces of Talent, with portraits of musician colleagues and other prominent personalities, earned him great interest from the media, and was presented in numerous exhibitions. Till Brönner lives in Berlin and Los Angeles.

ti llb ro e nne r -p hoto g ra p h y.co m Exhibition: Melting Pott, 3 July to

6 October, 2019, at the MKM Museum Küppersmühle für moderne Kunst, Duisburg; www.museum-kueppersmuehle.de Equipment: Leica M 240 with Summilux-M 50 f/1.4 Asph; Leica SL with Vario-Elmarit-SL 24–90 f/2.8–4 Asph; Leica Macro-Elmarit-R 60 f/2.8

Anyone looking to find the connection between Till Brönner the musician and Till Brönner the photographer can, with a bit of imagination, see the trace of a treble clef in Brönner’s image of the large ‘Tiger & Turtle’ sculpture. From the perspective he chose for the distinctive, Duisburg landmark, can we assume the photographer is unable to completely hide that his first great passion is for music? Even so, in recent years photography has become an increasingly important and enduring component of his creativity.

His greatly respected series, Faces of Talent, with the accompanying catalogue and numerous exhibitions, has long established him as a well-known Leica photographer.

The photographer’s most recent project is dedicated to the German Ruhr district, a subject that might be considered ‘light’; but at the same time it is a project with ambition because this region between the Emscher and Ruhr rivers offers countless photographic possibilities. Brönner’s challenge was not to fall into the well-known clichés connected to the Ruhr district legend. Countless photographers and artists have explored this unique region. This condensed conglomerate made up of big industry, fast-growing towns and populated landscapes has always represented a fertile reservoir for photographic imagery.

The Melting Pott project began nearly two years ago with an invitation by the Brost-Stiftung (Foundation) in Essen. Brönner remembers an emotional mixture of joy and amazement during the first contact with the initiators. “My photographic work was in the early stages and had not been shown to a very broad public,” he remembers.

At the time he was just back from Los Angeles, which was his base back then.

The invitation to focus on the Ruhr district as part of a photographic project with the goal of setting up an exhibition, attracted him immediately.

“It was clear to me that it would be an enormous challenge,” he says. “And I love challenges.” Now his efforts have produced results. Brönner photographed thousands of motifs during

countless visits. The project became the central focus of his life, which meant that Brönner, the musician, had to take a step back – and his family had to exercise lots of patience.

In July, the outcome of his research will be on display. His images show the Ruhr district after coal mining. Traces of the mining industry remain visible everywhere, but the structural changes over decades are also evident: former collieries and industrial complexes have been repurposed in many places.

Like few other districts in Germany, the Ruhr region has been subject to an extreme transformation. “During its long history, the Ruhr district has played many different roles. It was the armoury during the Second World War, the engine behind the recovery, and then a clean-up case – I’m interested in seeing what that does to the people,” the photographer explains.

Consequently, it is hardly surprising that people are at the heart of Brönner’s project. Whether football fans, carnival participants, rockers or punks: every person depicted has been impacted by the Ruhr district’s history and traditions. The exhibition shows characters, the originals, everyday people he met by chance during his travels around the Ruhr, and also prominent personalities like footballers or artists, who equally characterise the area. The intermingling of different cultures, the integration of new inhabitants, was always a self-evident part of the Ruhr’s distinct reality.

Melting Pott became a very personal project for Brönner and it does an impressive job of describing the present: a sensitive, direct look at a special part of Germany. The photographer’s understanding is to mix the well-known with the surprising, historic landmarks with architectural novelties, fond clichés with today’s reality. It corresponds to his unique artistic aspiration – to emphasise ‘the inhomogeneous quality of the Ruhr district’. Ulrich Rüter

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LeicA M

Luis Cobelo

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Everything is real until proven otherwise: the photographer Luis Cobelo has created a magical world of imagery inspired by the Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel One Hundred Years of Solitude. He invites the viewer into a small village somewhere in Latin America, where monkeys predict the future and chickens lay golden eggs.

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Luis Cobelo read One Hundred Years of Solitude when he was twelve years old; over thirty years later he visited Aracataca, the town where Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born. That was when he took the first pictures for the Zurumbรกtico series, which he self-published as a book in 2017

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Cobelo was already able to establish some contacts during his first trip to Aracataca.

Before returning to the town, he pondered on the characters in One Hundred Years of Solitude, who he wanted to integrate into his series, and then he went in search again

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The word ‘zurumbático’ only appears once in the world-famous novel One Hundred Years of Solitude. It is Portuguese in origin and describes a person who is puzzling and melancholic, with quickly changing moods.

“It was perfect. I had found a word that describes so many things all at once,” Cobelo remembers

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‘Zurumbático’ is a state of mind. More precisely: a state of the soul; an elusive matter of the heart. In the ‘zurumbático’ state, nothing is set, no rules are defined. All is in flux. The actual definition of the word is just as versatile and multi-faceted. It sums up, in some sort of indescribable manner, a way of being, the Latino way: a mix between ecstatic, melancholic, enigmatic and dazed.

Luis Cobelo lives in between two worlds, Europe and Latin America, and this double identity has always enriched and enhanced his senses. He feels more and sees more. And he succeeds in transmitting this super power to us, as well, if we manage to let go and get caught in the intricate and enchanting narrative of his images.

Zurumbático winks an eye at Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s, One Hundred Years of Solitude, a book and a mental space that has been on Cobelo’s radar for more than ten years. I remember seeing his copy of the novel, full of earmarks and notes, fiercely underlined and used. Having read it myself years ago, after diving into Cobelo’s images, I felt the need to go out and buy a new copy (a beautiful, illustrated version that happened to magically show up in a book store just when I needed it). I read it again, had to, wanted to, could not do without it.

Once you begin the Zurumbático journey you are trapped in a new but strangely familiar dimension, where emotions collapse and thoughts get tangled. “Everything is real until proven otherwise,” suggests Cobelo when we first enter this world. His visual journey takes us off the beaten track.

We are led, unaware, into a universe of sensuous desires, ambiguous visions and magical symbolism.

Inspired by Marquez’s masterpiece and by a place he has visited several times, Cobelo is generous and raw in diving into the untold stories and infinite anecdotes that his

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heart has adopted, culturally, and that his eyes recognize, instantly. You cannot escape the subtly invisible links between the faces and details Cobelo immortalizes. He delights in coupling images as diptychs, without a fixed scheme or sense. Every exposure, whether in the book or an exhibition, offers a new vision, a new narration.

A new path to get lost on.

In Cobelo’s fable, people are raw and details are alive. The connections he continually recreates between people and things nurture our fantasy. It is what happens in Macondo, the fictional village described in Gabriel García Márquez’s novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude, probably inspired by the author’s home town of Aracataca.

We let go of the final image of the series without ever understanding what has happened to us. Like a labyrinth we keep circling around, retracing our steps, trying new paths. And when we think we have made it, we are stunned by reality. Or puzzled by the ambiguity of it all. There is pain and joy; passion and violence.

Cobelo has a special talent and sensibility in connecting with people.

And this permeates his portraits. His images are delicate and harsh at the same time. You never perceive the presence of the photographer: the Other, whether a face, an object or a space, fills the frame; it overflows the borders of the image. The symbolism overwrites the realistic description.

Even in the case of inanimate objects, the use of a fixed 50mm lens, offers a coherent point of view that somehow creates a steadiness within the ambivalence of the imagery. The eye looks at each image with the same distance. There is no need to adjust, we just have to look.

In Cobelos words: “Zurumbático is a tunnel of feelings, sensations, effects and special events, in which I enter and leave as I wish. Immersed in this dimension, I understood and reconfirmed that the unusual, the everyday, the comic, even the tragic, has no explanation, neither asked nor sought.

It is what it is.” arianna rinaldo

Luis Cobelo Born in Venezuela in 1970, the photographer studied and completed a degree in Philosophy. He has been working as a freelance photographer since 2001, focusing on documentary projects in America, Asia and Europe. In 2017 he selfpublished the book Zurumbático; pictures from the series have been exhibited at festivals worldwide. Cobelo is currently working on his new project titled Chas Chas, which is set in a district in Buenos Aires. lu is cobe lo.com LFI -On lin e .DE/B log: Slideshow with more related images Equipment: Leica M240 with Summarit-M 50 f/2.4 Asph

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LeicA M

Pascal Dusapin T r av e ll i n g t h e W o r ld

Black and white opens the French composer and photographer’s eyes to the essential in the motifs that he mostly discovers while on concert tours.

His scores and two analogue Leica Ms are always with him.

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Snapshots of daily life that are suggestively poetic: London 2018 (above), Parc de Meudon, Belgium 2018 (left page)

Brittle branches reach skyward like shaky fingers; rain-soaked asphalt reflects artificial lights and silhouettes of people like protagonists in a film noir. In another picture, faceless pedestrians sweep by, the sound of their hurried footsteps seeming to linger in the depth of night in the big city. Yet another image draws the eye to a powerful wave, while another reveals a horse’s legs, defying the cold unfriendly pavement with quiet persistence. These images have no thematic commonalities, however these contemplative photographs devoid of human figures, convey a sense of calm.

Under the skin. Daily life, as captured in these black and white pictures

becomes ambiguous, vague. Are the treetops in front of a curtain part of a theatre set, or a bizarre excerpt of our reality?

These images reveal situations and scenes encountered while travelling by French photographer, Pascal Dusapin. He is first and foremost known as a highly successful composer of contemporary music. His musical œuvre is defined by a mathematicalintellectual influence: the rhythms of his compositions are highly complex and his scores require a laborious commitment for musicians to learn to play. There are two reasons why Dusapin picks up the camera that always accompanies him and composes pictures wherever he happens to be: on the one hand, photography has been a part of his life since childhood

when his father was a passionate, perfectionist amateur photographer.

The other reason is, as Dusapin likes to say: photography is a “type of antidote” to the rather autistic state that sometimes overcomes him when he immerses himself in musical composition. With photography, he can escape the pull. Of course, even though it is music that defines his daily life – and that means every single day – he cannot imagine a life without photography either; but for him the two art forms exist totally independent of each other.

That photography rescues him, is one way of interpreting his own words: it draws him back to the reality →

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Chance and yet harmonious interplays of structure and texture, light and shadow: Venice 2016 (above); Tokyo 2014 (below); Left page from the top: Bonifacio, Corsica 2006; Tokyo 2014; Basingstoke, England 2018; Brussels, 2015

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The reduction to black and white opens Pascal Dusapin’s eyes to the essential: Tonnerre 2018 (above); Venice 2008 (below); Right page from the top: Ile du RÊ 2018; Champex-Lac, Switzerland 2012; Paris 2018; Thomery 2018

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Pa s c a l D u s a p i n Born in Nancy, France, in 1955, Pascal Dusapin studied Art and Aesthetics in Paris. At the same time, he was a private student of Olivier Messiaen, the pioneer of serial music at the Parisian Conservatory, and later of composers Iannis Xenof and Franco Donatoni. His compositions have received a number of awards. Photography has been a part of his life since childhood. When not on tour, Dusapin lives in Paris.

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Dusapin is less interested in the retelling of reality, but rather in its interpretation. Tokyo 2014 (above); Berlin 2013 (left page)

of existence. In that reality, his eyes wander pretty much without any specific direction, as he takes a stroll in any number of foreign cities – Tokyo, Bonifacio, Tonnerre, Venice – as much as well-known places such as Paris where he lives. “But I never go out hunting for a photo,” he explains of his approach. “I’m more of a collector. I don’t make any physical effort to get a picture. I don’t climb walls to get a better angle. I take pictures that emerge in front of my eyes.”

Dusapin is a ‘flâneur of photography’ because he is not in a hurry or under pressure. He is a person who simply encounters things. “With photography, I am – and want to remain

– a dilettante,” he says modestly. As a result of this freedom from professional competitiveness, and in an apparently very calm manner, he creates pictures that speak of the fleeting, puzzling beauty of the moment. Daily life becomes poetic and the world – robbed of its colour – becomes contrasts and contours, feelings and thoughts.

The photographer’s compositions seem nearly incidental, yet they are witness to a precise eye, a refined sense for the decisive moment.

Dusapin is a convinced analogue photographer. He does not want to see the outcome of his photographic work immediately. “On the contrary,” he explains. “I appreciate that the pictures only reveal themselves later; yes, that they even surprise me. In fact, I must first forget them. I often wait six

months or even longer before getting my films developed. In this sense, there is also an analogy to music: it’s a long time after I’ve completed my scores that they first get played.” And so, these two very separate art forms have a brief proximity – within Dusapin’s unique creative cycle, within the time frame of a delay both necessary and inbuilt. katrin ullmann Exh ibition s : Pascal Dusapin, Leica

Gallery Salzburg, 25 July — 28. Sep­tember 2019; Haus Für Mozart, Felsenreitschule, Salzburg, 23 July — 2 September 2019 Equipment: M6 und MP à la carte with Summicron-M 1:2/35 Asph, 1:2/50, Summilux-M 1:1.4/35 and 1:1.4/50 Asph

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LeicA S

Michael Paniccia T h e I n n o cE n t s

Curious figures, taking tea and passing the time in a Baroque garden: in his series The Innocents, Michael Paniccia conjures up a dreamlike vision of youthful hedonism in an enchanted world.

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“If I find myself doing too much commercial work, I will generate a creative project to keep a balance. I’m continuously creating new art which is, typically, all lens-based art.”

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“I prefer on location shoots, because they present a lot of unexpected opportunities. We photographed The Innocents on a private property in Connecticut.

There were hedges that were growing like a labyrinth.�

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“There are references to Alice in Wonderland, and the documentary feature film Grey Gardens: when the eccentricity takes over and the characters’ innocence makes everyday life an episode of deluxe escapism.”

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On a sea-green lawn, amidst pinkorange foliage and crimson hedges with hints of purple hues, odd figures frolic in eccentric outfits and feathered masks. They drink tea, play games, and explore the leafy maze that seems to dominate their world. Every now and again, a pretty china set, a metronome or a pair of garden shears might appear within a scene. There seems to be no predetermined route through this labyrinth, no exit, no prospect of leaving. Is theirs an existence of idle pleasure or desperation?

The viewer is as displaced as the protagonists, who simply seem to make the best of their situation.

Michael Paniccia created pictures that resemble tableaux from a theatrical performance: real plants are made to look like props, and people like actors – their appearance artfully altered and costume-clad. Why has Paniccia chosen the art-form of photography over orchestrating a stage play? One reason is that formalising moving scenes into static images allows for the resulting single frames to be arranged in a non-chronological order. This purposefully generated sequence gives rise to a new narrative – representing a key characteristic of the photographic medium.

In addition, in this series the US American freely plays with our ingrained expectations around colour.

Instead of limiting himself to either colour or black and white photography, Paniccia generated a spectrum of his own by turning his back on conventional codes in favour of a newly defined visual reality. However, this was not achieved with the aid of a filter – which would have resulted in an overall transformation of the entire image – but by individually manipulating specific areas of each frame.

This required an extremely elaborate post-production process, in which the accomplished retoucher Max Louis Miller played a major part.

To prepare the series, Paniccia collaborated with creative director Andrew Basile and stylist Nicolas Eftaxias.

“The Innocents is an editorial that grew organically, like the garden itself,” Paniccia explains. “I often find that the best projects come when there is a plan in place, but the real creativity comes when you allow the magic of the moment to happen.

Accidents and moments borne out of need are always where the genius lies.

We did our research and developed the outline of the story. A narrative began to take shape.”

The masks, which stylist Nicolas Eftaxias once picked up on a whim while travelling, were ideally suited to orchestrating a tea party; the finer details of the storyline, meanwhile, were developed by creative director Andrew Basile. These joint efforts produced a series with many facets: strange and complex, dark and absurd, playful but still polished down to the last detail. “We saw an opportunity to create contrast and opposition by combining youth with old-school tradition,” the photographer elaborates. “The nonsensical situation had a moody darkness to it, an almost macabre mystery. We didn’t want to fall into the trap of creating anything too childlike.”

The perfect location was sourced in the form of private grounds in Greenwich, Connecticut, where the crew completed the shoot on a single autumn day in 2018. The post-production process, on the other hand, took a great deal longer. “The recolouring of the trees and bushes was very timeconsuming and had to be handled carefully, so that it was not too heavy and also looked actually possible.

We were able to push the files to such extremes because of the latitude of the raw files.” With his series The Innocents, Paniccia vividly illustrates how technological advancements can be used to manifest one of the most exciting qualities of the photographic medium: the ability to challenge our perception and generate utopian worlds through a wide range of creative means.

Carla Susanne Erdmann

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M i c h a e l Pa n i cc i a

Born in New York City in 1985, Paniccia took up photography at the age of 15. Paniccia graduated with an MFA from the NY Visual School of Arts in 2011. “It encompasses me and my everyday life. It has shaped how I see and exist in the world. Seeing is another way of feeling.”

Paniccia regularly photographs for magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and Wall Street Journal. mich ae lpan icc ia.com LFI -On lin e .DE/B log: Slideshow with further pictures from the series Equipment: Leica S with Summarit-S 70 f/2.5 Asph (CS), Summicron-S 100 f/2 Asph and Apo-Elmar-S 180 f/3.5 (CS)

f/ s top – L e i c a M - E – L e i c a C L P i g o z z i – H uaw e i P 3 0 P r o –

T h e n e w L e i c a M- E : t h e m o s t a f f o r da bl e i n t r o d u ct i o n to L eic a ran g e f i n d e r p h o to g ra p h y e v e r !

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S e c o n d i n C o mm a n d leica m-e

The new Leica M-E is based on the M240 – the predecessor of the Leica M10 – but is offered at a far lower retail price than either of these two cameras. This makes the M-E the most economical introduction to rangefinder photography that has ever been available.

Whenever Leica have been asked whether an entrylevel variant of the Leica M might ever be in the realm of the possible, the answer was essentially the same: producing a mechanically intricate camera such as a Leica M to the exacting standards associated with the Leica brand is an incredibly elaborate endeavour – and that is why M models have to be priced the way that they are. This also explains why the first Leica M-E of 2012, a slightly modified variant designed as a first introduction to Leica’s rangefinder system, was only fractionally cheaper than the fully fledged M9 on which it was based.

This time, however, the company has taken a different approach. The M-E is based on the Leica M240, which is still part of the 90 |

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current product catalogue; the differences between the two cameras are relatively minor – and yet the M-E is available at a significantly lower price. Positioning the technical traits of the Leica M-E within the diversity of digital M models, past and present, is a complex endeavour. Before we even attempt to do so, we should point out that while the M-E does, of course, diverge from other M models, the discrepancies are relatively subtle; in any case, none of them make the M-E so inferior to the current M10 that they would warrant such a remarkable difference in price. Consequently, the M-E represents an affordable and extremely appealing introduction to Leica’s rangefinder system. One of the reasons behind the favourable pricing is Leica’s

product planning strategy: the M-E is intended to be sold for around six months only, or while stocks last.

Production will only continue as long as there is a high enough demand – rather than manufacturing small volumes as and when required, as Leica have sometimes been known to do.

While this ‘mass production’ will still primarily involve manual construction, this strategy allows for greater efficiency and, consequently, tighter pricing.

L e i ca M -E a nd M 2 4 0.

The technical specifications of the new Leica M-E are based on the (now discontinued) Leica M-P240, which was designed as an upgraded variant of the M240. In other words: at the time of its release, the M-E is – technologically

speaking – one generation ‘older’ than the most current model (as was the case with the first M-E of 2012).

Most notably, this means that the new M-E still relies on the Max sensor of the M240. On paper, it delivers the same 24MP resolution as the M10; but in reality, the effective resolution is noticeably lower, particularly in conjunction with the camera’s maximum usable ISO. The M-E has a sensitivity range of ISO 200 – 6400, in contrast to the M10’s significantly wider spectrum of ISO 100 – 50 000. Also, M-E photographers have to select the ISO value in the menu, while the M10 provides a dedicated ISO settings wheel. Just like the M-P240, the M-E is equipped with a 2GB buffer memory (in contrast to the 1GB frame buffer of →

Only a closer look reveals that the Leica M-E is based on the M240: the camera body is a few millimetres thicker than the current M10, and the frame-line selector lever has been omitted – yet the M-E is an attractive representative of the M series in its own right. The EVF-2 electronic viewfinder can be attached via the hot-shoe

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L e i ca M -E a nd M 10.

the standard M240) – enabling higher frame counts in burst mode and improving the camera’s readiness to shoot. In this regard, the M-E actually outperforms the standard M240 in a meaningful aspect of practical application.

Overall, there are a number of benefits to Leica’s ‘generation 240’ that help explain why it continues to be represented in Leica’s product catalogue, even though the next generation – the M10 family – has long since entered the stage. These include the ability to record moving images (for which the M-E is equipped with a separate video button). The M10, by comparison, does not offer video mode – even though it could have easily been implemented from a technical point of view; however, many M photographers disliked the additional controls and menu items associated 92 |

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While some minor features have been omitted, future M-E owners will undoubtedly appreciate the presence of a movie function – a convenience that is absent from the current M10

with a movie function, and felt that the M should once again become a dedicated stills camera – a request Leica fulfilled with the M10, which bears strong echoes of the classic, analogue M models.

The M240 was, at the time, designed to push the boundaries of digital technology. For instance, it has a spirit level that can be brought up on the rear display; the M-E, consequently, also offers this convenient feature, while it is absent from the current M10. And there is another advantage the M-E has over the new-generation model: because its body is slightly deeper than that of the M10 (which has returned to the slim dimensions of its analogue ancestors), the M-E is able to accommodate a considerably larger battery, whose 1800 mAh capacity is roughly 40% higher than that of the M10.

Of course, the M10 offers important benefits of its own, most of which we have mentioned above: a significantly greater ISO range, a next-generation sensor delivering higher image quality, and a camera body that is noticeably closer to the traditional M models – which makes the M10 that bit more ergonomic, with an operating system that is more straightforward (and therefore quicker to navigate) than that of the M-E. But before we tackle the question as to which is the better choice – the M-E or the M10 – we should also take a brief look at how the M-E fares in comparison with the M240 – though the differences are, once again, relatively minor. For example, although the M-E is based on the M-P240, its rear display cover is not made of sapphire glass, but ‘only’ Gorilla glass (which is also extremely scratch resistant; incidentally, the same material is used on the M10). In a similar vein, the M-E is missing the frame selection lever that lets M10 owners preview their brightline frames and determine if a lens change is advisable.

In reality, the majority of M photographers rarely take advantage of this feature. In some ways, this is a shame given that the mechanical construction of the lever is fairly elaborate; on the other hand, that is exactly why omitting it from the M-E has helped keep down costs.

Leica also decided to eliminate several interfaces, including the flash-sync port and external power supply socket, as well as the baseplate attachments for the

multifunctional handgrip (which consequently can no longer be used on the M-E).

There is also no USB port for data transmission, and no way to install a GPS receiver.

When presented in such concentrated form, this list might seem rather dramatic; when it comes down to practical application, however, these omissions have hardly any impact at all: to move images from the camera to the computer, most photographers rely on their SD card reader; a spare battery can easily replace the need for an external power supply; for flash photography, Leica have, of course, provided a hot-shoe and adaptor; and only a fairly limited number of customers opt for a handgrip.

G o for it! Whichever way you look at it, the technical differences between the M-E and the M-P240 are extremely subtle – whereas the price difference of almost 3000 euros compared to both the M-P240 and the current M10 is a considerable leap.

This makes the M-E an excellent choice for those looking for a reasonably-priced second camera without the need to scour the second-hand market; at the same time, it is perfect for photographers who would like to make their first forays into the M system.

The money saved could be used to buy one of Leica’s remarkable M lenses; for many photographers, this will seem more appealing than investing in the more sensitive sensor of the M10.

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The money saved when buying a Leica M-E equals t he p r ic e of a n M l en s – y et t her e a r e n o m a j or comp rom is e s in t er m s of technical perfor m a n c e.

This, if nothing else, clearly highlights that the M-E is by no means an ‘economy option’. Instead, it represents a conscious decision, and a fantastic opportunity to start working with the M system. The M-E’s only real shortcoming is the fact that it will be available for a limited period of time only, instead of becoming a permanent member of Leica’s M family.

And for anyone who might be wondering: yes, it is most likely that Leica will, at some point, release an even more advanced M model, which will further increase the gap to the M-E. But this does not change the fact that the M-E represents an incredibly attractive opportunity, the likes of which might never come again. holger sparr

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Meander Lines Leica CL – Urban Jungle

Jean Pigozzi – entrepreneur, art collector, patron and photographer – has once more applied his eye for design to a Leica camera. While the Leica Sofort “Limoland”, was bursting with colour, the new Leica CL “Urban Jungle” is distinguished by a sophisticated exterior in black and grey.

Jean Pigozzi – also known as ‘Johnny’ amongst his plethora of friends and acquaintances collected throughout a lifetime of international jet-setting – has created his second design variant of a Leica camera. In many ways, the special-edition Leica CL – Urban Jungle by Jean Pigozzi represents an almost logical culmination of past developments and events.

But let us start at the beginning. Pigozzi was born in 1952 as the son of ItalianFrench industrialist, Henri Théodore Pigozzi who established a Fiat import agency in France, before founding the automobile company Simca in 1934. Particularly in the 1950s and 1960s, Simca cars enjoyed great popularity. However, when Chrysler acquired a majority stake in Simca 94 |

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in 1963, Pigozzi left the company, and passed away suddenly one year later.

When Jean Pigozzi came of age, he found himself the young heir to a fortune.

C hil d of the a rts. Jean Pigozzi was given his first camera at the age of seven.

When he was ten, his father gifted him his old Leica.

Eventually he continued to photograph with his late father’s M2. “Since then, I have worked with every M model,” he explains. “I also owned the first Leica CL – a beautiful little camera

that I loved taking pictures with.” Pigozzi’s affinity for photography is also partly rooted in his personal history: “I am dyslexic, and my handwriting is terrible. If I write something down, I won’t be able to decipher it afterwards. This only changed once computers came in. That’s why I started to document my life in pictures from very early on. I photographed everything that appeared in front of my lens: my food, my dogs, my friends, literally everything.”

Despite these challenges, he was able to secure a place at Harvard University. How he managed to do so was revealed in a 2010 interview with Vanity Fair: “I had done terribly on my SATs. But I had an interview with a very nice man who ran the Irving Trust Bank in Paris. I went to see him in his big office,

and I had my little suit on.

He asked, ‘Oh, Mr. Pigozzi, where in Italy are you from?’

I said, ‘I come from Torino.’

‘Okay,’ he says, ‘I’m going to ask you two questions. If you answer these two questions correctly, I’m going to get you into Harvard. What is the best restaurant in Torino?’ I said, ‘It’s probably Gatto Nero, the Black Cat.’ ‘Okay. And when is the season for truffles?’ I said, ‘October to November.’ He said, ‘Okay, I’ll get you into Harvard.’ I got into Harvard because of truffles.” Pigozzi initially studied economics, but soon decided to transfer to film and photography, which proved a far better fit.

Pi o ne e r o f t h e se lfi e .

After graduating from Harvard with a Bachelor’s degree, Pigozzi worked for the French film studio →

The Leica CL – Urban Jungle by Jean Pigozzi is identical to the serially produced model, aside from a black trim embellished with a meandering pattern of wavy, silver-grey lines

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Gaumont as well as 20th Century Fox. Even back in his student days, Pigozzi, who rarely missed an opportunity to immerse himself in New York’s vibrant social scene, had made the acquaintance of many photographers, pop stars and celebrities – and frequently

The Leica CL – Urban Jungle

by Jean Pigozzi is sold as a set comprising the elegantly designed camera, an Elmarit-TL 18 f/2.8 Asph and a carrying strap in silver-grey

“America’s Premier Leica Specialist”

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captured them with his camera. The first half of the seventies also marked Pigozzi’s ‘invention’ of the selfie: what had started out as a bit of fun amongst Pigozzi and his friends, quickly extended to posing side-by-side with glamorous celebrities.

And this is how it first came about: Harvard University is home to the oldest theatrical student organisation in the United States – the Hasty Pudding Theatricals Society, famed for its burlesque, cross-dressing musicals. Each year, the society names a notable member of the entertainment industry as the Hasty Pudding Man and Woman of the Year. Ever since Jane Fonda made a surprise

appearance to personally accept her award in 1961, the ceremony – which includes a grand celebration – has turned into a star-studded affair. In 1974, Hollywood star Faye Dunaway visited Harvard to receive her award – and became the subject of Pigozzi’s very first celebrity selfie. Pigozzi’s subsequent work in the film industry opened up an endless array of opportunities to further expand his starselfie collection, as his photo book Me + Co: The Selfies 1972–2017 (published in 2017) vividly illustrates. Particularly during the Cannes Film Festival, Pigozzi’s Villa Dorane in Cap d’Antibes has always been a bustling meeting place for the glitterati of the international art,

film and music scene. He especially likes to take pictures by the villa’s poolside; his aptly named photo book Pool Party was featured in LFI 6/2017 (page 18).

Round two. In 2016, Pi-

gozzi’s passion for photography culminated in a visit to Leitz-Park in Wetzlar. As a life-long Leica enthusiast, he wanted to see for himself how a Leica camera is made.

On the day, he happened to wear a jacket featuring the colourful logo of his Limoland fashion label: a ‘happy face’ which Pigozzi – who owns one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of African contemporary art – licensed from a piece of artwork by Tanzanian painter George

Lilanga (1934–2005) of the Makonde tribe. While Pigozzi prefers to photograph almost exclusively in black and white, he also has a great appreciation for vibrant colours. This was certainly reflected in the Leica Sofort – Limoland by Jean Pigozzi, which was conceived as a direct result of his visit to Leitz-Park.

Now Pigozzi returns with a new creation: the special-edition Leica CL – Urban Jungle by Jean Pigozzi. It is no coincidence that the camera bears the same name as the analogue CL of 1973, with which Pigozzi captured many of his famous selfies. Both are compact viewfinder cameras (‘CL’ stands for ‘Compact Leica’) with interchange-

lensless photography for leica M

for all cameras with leica-M mount

subjektiv pancake

“Sta rt in g w it h t he M 2 , I hav e worked with every single M model . I a l s o ha d a n analogue CL – a b eau t if u l l ittl e c a m era t hat I loved taking pict u r e s w it h. ”

able lenses. Featuring the same technical specifications as its serially produced counterpart, the specialedition model comes with an Elmarit-TL 18 f/2.8 Asph and a braided camera strap in silver-grey. The CL “Urban Jungle” is distinguished by an elegant black trim streaked with wavy, silver-grey lines – not unlike the stone patterns that surround the legendary pool in Cap d’Antibes, or light reflections on the water’s surface in the style of a Hockney painting. The Leica CL “Urban Jungle” will be launched at the Leica Gallery Milan at the end of June 2019, accompanied by an exhibition of Pigozzi’s dazzling Pool Party series. bernd luxa

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22.02.2017 12:06:11 Uhr

Q ua n t u m L e a p Hu aw e i P 3 0 P r o

The Leica Quad Camera featured in the new Huawei P30 Pro is hailed by industry experts as the best smartphone camera ever made. After our field test, we wholeheartedly agree.

Leica’s Vario-Summilux-H 16–125 f/1.6–3.4 Asph comprises the P30 Pro’s 40MP primary camera, 20MP ultra wide angle, 8MP SuperZoom, and a depth-sensing Time of Flight camera

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The latest model in Huawei’s P series, the P30 Pro, is equipped with the ingenious Leica Quad Camera – a four-lens system that has consistently scored full marks in product test reviews, and is being lauded as the best smartphone camera currently available on the market. With its astonishing low-light capture, periscope-style lens (whose optical, hybrid and digital zooms offer a total focal length of over 1000 mm) and a well-thought-out application of Artificial Intelligence technology, the P30 Pro delivers a level of imaging performance that is unprecedented within the field of smartphone photography.

In terms of hardware, the P30 Pro is built with the same fundamental components as its ‘big brother’, the Huawei Mate 20, which was released in autumn 2018 . The OLED screen is once again of extremely high quality. Its 2340 × 1080-pixel, full HD resolution is lower than the 3120 × 1440pixel-rendition of the Mate 20; however, this difference goes unnoticed in everyday application, whilst offering the advantage of reducing battery drain.

The smartphone’s enormous 6.47-inch (16.43 centimetres) display takes up almost the entire front panel, which accommodates only one other feature: a small teardrop notch for the front-facing camera. In other words, even the exterior design suggests that this fourth generation flagship model very much revolves around the capture and presentation of the photographic image.

L e i ca Q ua d Ca me ra.

The most remarkable innovation of the P30 Pro can be found on the device’s rear panel. In contrast to the Mate 20 Pro, the cameras are no longer arranged in a square-shaped assembly, but positioned vertically along the upper edge of the phone. This in itself, however, is not what gives the P30 superiority in the field of smartphone photography. The reason why the P30 Pro outperforms its supposed big brother in terms of camera capabilities is the Leica Vario-Summilux-H 16–125 f/1.6–3.4 Asph, also called the Leica Quad Camera – a term that collectively describes the phone’s 40MP primary camera (f/1.6), 20MP ultra wide angle camera (f/2.2), 8MP SuperZoom Camera (f/3.4), and a depthsensing system known as a Time of Flight camera.

Seeing in the dark. The

sensor solution of the P30 Pro is just as revolutionary, introducing an RYYB colour filter in place of the customary RGB Bayer array. The substitution of green with yellow pixels allows for a wider spectrum of light to be transmitted to the sensor – thereby facilitating brighter images. Combined with the internal image stabilisation, this enables the P30 Pro to record long exposures even at night – without the need for a tripod. Even in situations when the photographer might struggle to make out a scene, the camera will record images of considerable clarity with very moderate noise.

In fact, the P30 Pro delivers usable images up to ISO 409 600. What may sound reminiscent of a fictitious →

Photos: David Rojkowski; product photography: Huawei

Macro shots in standard and wide angle mode, fast autofocus, saturated colours and long exposures without a tripod: the P30 Pro leaves almost no wish unfulfilled

Above: 49 f/1.6, 1/4926 s, ISO 50; top: 27 f/1.6, 7 s, ISO 1250 (night mode); right: 57 f/2.2, 1/842 s, ISO 50 (super macro)

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number, on par with ‘a gazillion’, turns out to have a very real effect in practice: supported by AI elements and solid image stabilisation the P30 Pro will, as if by magic, capture things that are invisible to the naked eye.

Pe r i sco p e l e ns. Leica’s

Extremely wide, extremely close: wide-angle shot (top) and a 50x magnification captured in monochrome mode (underneath).

Left: the P30 Pro is available in several colour options Clockwise from the top: 16 f/2.2, 1/33 s, ISO 200; 1343 f/3.4, 1/251 s, ISO 50; 16 f/2.2, 1/2415 s, ISO 50

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engineers were particularly ingenious when it came to developing the P30 Pro’s SuperZoom Camera, which is based on the periscope principle. Instead of extending outwards, the zoom lens is mounted laterally inside the phone; the incoming light is redirected to the sensor with the aid of prisms.

This enables a 5x optical zoom without compromising the phone’s compact dimensions. The 10x zoom operates as a hybrid, while the 50x zoom is digital.

If we also take into account the magnifying function of the phone display, the P30 Pro’s actual zoom capacity is even higher. Admittedly, focusing and keeping the phone steady at maximum magnification is bound to prove rather challenging. But even then, you will still achieve good results provided the lighting conditions are favourable. This is due to both the optical image stabilisation and the integrated Master AI feature, which distinguishes between a wide range of different subjects (plants, clouds, people, etc.) and optimises the photographs accordingly.

Those who prefer greater artistic autonomy have the option of switching to the camera’s Pro mode, where parameters such as exposure, aperture and ISO can be set manually. If you go a

step further and choose to disable AI support, the full 40MP resolution of the sensor can be utilised. With AI support enabled, all modes and programmes of the Leica Quad Camera are limited to a resolution of 10 MP; this represents the P30 Pro’s only drawback, at least for those planning to produce large-scale prints. As with all previous Huawei models featuring Leica cameras, images can be saved not only as JPEGs, but also in DNG format. Having said that, the camera’s JPEG algorithms are so accomplished that only users with advanced image processing skills are likely to achieve equally high-quality results.

Yet another facet of the P30 Pro is the ultra wide

angle camera, offering an equivalent focal length of 16 mm and a maximum aperture of f/2.2. The fisheye distortion usually associated with this focal length is eliminated with the aid of software, resulting in a slight cropping of the edges and, consequently, a marginally smaller frame.

In addition, the wide-angle option can also be used to create extreme macro shots.

Lastly, the P30 Pro’s Time of Flight camera is responsible for gathering data, and makes it possible to utilise the functions described above in the context of long exposures. It also captures depth-of-field information, in order to enable a well-defined rendition of contours and

a creamy, defocused background – resulting in Leicastyle portraits with naturallooking bokeh effects.

Leica may have b een lat e to break into digita l p hotog rap hy – n ow t he compa n y is a l ea d in g forc e in t he f ield of s m a rtp h o n e p h oto g ra p h y.

co nc lusi o n. Without

a doubt, the P30 Pro is a groundbreaking product that might well take Huawei a step closer to their goal of becoming the world’s leading smartphone brand.

For Leica, this collaboration represents yet another prestige-enhancing venture.

Whether the enthusiasm within the industry will also translate into commercial success remains to be seen: with a starting price tag of around 1000 euros, this state-of-the-art model is likely to appeal to a fairly exclusive part of the market.

David rojkowski

on the way L F I A P P F o r i OS a n d A n d r o i d

Read every issue of the magazine on your tablet or on your smart phone.

In the app you can also find all the best photos from the LFI.Gallery, the latest blogs, and news from the world of photography.

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TOP $$$ paid for all Leica gear. Ask about our low consignment rate.

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Leica USA Authorized Dealer

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b e s t o f L FI . G a ll e r y

ROO M W I T H A VIE W “This panorama of Singapore was taken spontaneously from a hotel terrace. I found that the city reminded me of an illuminated light table.

A 3D effect arises as a result of the bright natural light and, coupled with the blueish-silvery tones, produces a rather futuristic atmosphere.�

Bastian Hansen Leica M10-P with Summicron-M 35 f/2 Asph

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l ig h t box

out of the da r k n e s s “The miners working at the Thong Nhat colliery in Vietnam often belong to ethnic minorities that have been working there for generations. Anyone who takes a careful look at the face of this young worker, can recognise the concentration and discipline required for this dangerous profession.“ Khanh Nguyen Leica SL with Summilux-TL 35 f/1.4 Asph

A s t r o n au t in Venice “It was early in the morning and there was high tide at the Piazza San Marco, when I discovered a model in an astronaut costume. I photographed it discreetly with the Palazzo Ducale in the background. I like the contrast between the ancient palace and the futuristic outfit.”

Ottavio Colosio Leica M3 with Summicron-M 50 f/2 Asph

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In a pink b a ll p i t “This unusual portrait was taken in a sea of roughly 4000 plastic balls. The model’s gaze into the distance is an invitation to the viewer to dream.

At the same time, however, it conveys something sensitive, soft. The blue eyes produce a contrast to the lighter and darker shades of pink balls.”

Daniel Schrick Leica S 2 with Summarit-S 70 f/2.5 Asph

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Shades of Grey “During a workshop in Kyoto I had booked a traditional hotel room. Everything in it was grey on grey, even the dressing gowns. I asked some of the participants to put them on and to pose in the room. This resulted in a picture that reveals everything you need to know about Japan.�

Irakly Shanidze Leica M8 with Elmarit-M 28 f/2.8 Asph

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Dürer R e loa d e d

b e tw e e n R e f l e ct i o n s

“The hare was very shy at first; however, it quickly decided to make eye contact with me. I pushed the lens through the fence of the enclosure, as I intended to photograph him with the zoom and a small aperture. Suddenly the hare was curious and came towards me, so I hit the trigger.”

“This picture was taken on the Rue de Rivoli, one of the most famous streets in Paris. I photographed the portrait of a woman behind a pane of glass, and was happy that a bus and four people moved into the frame at that precise moment. For me, this composition is symbolic of Paris Fashion Week.”

Daniele Zullino Leica D-Lux (Typ 109), VarioSummilux 10.9–34 f/1.7–2.8

Nicolas Weinstein Leica M6 with Summicron-M 50 f/2

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Sc u lpt u r e in the Wind “The name of this installation is The Singing Ringing Tree, and it is a well known landmark in my home town of Burnley in England.

Interesting melodies are created by the wind blowing through the pipes.�

Tony Moran Leica Q-P, Summilux 28 f/1.7 Asph

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p h oto – B OOKS – EXHI B I T IONS – f e s t i va l s – Awa r d s –

Arles 2019: The Art Collection Deutsche Telekom is showing Šejla Kamerić: 30 years after, 2006

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P h oto E s pa ñ a F e s t i va l d e F o t o g r a f i a

Photos: © Šejla Kamerić, courtesy of the artist and Art Collection Deutsche Telekom; © Helen Levitt, private collection, Film Documents LCC/courtesy of Thomas Zander Gallery, Cologne. © Délio Jasse; © Nanna Heitmann; © Maia Flore/Agence VU', Pour Atout France, Imagine France By The Sea; © Danila Tkachenko

AR L ES 2 0 1 9 L ES RENCONTRES DE L A P HOTOGRA P HIE

What Cannes means for cinema, Arles means for photography. First launched in 1969, this year the festival is inviting visitors to the south of France to celebrate its 50 year jubilee. Two months, sixty exhibitions, night walks, and projections: last year 140 000 enthusiasts visited the world’s largest photographic event located in Provence. This year, it is not only about the institution Les Rencontres De La Photographie celebrating its half a century: its founders, Lucien Clergue, Michel Tournier and Jean-Maurice Rouquette, three visionaries who have placed Arles on the map for all photography lovers, will also be honoured. History, modernity, trends – the programme is as diverse as the exhibits and artists. Next generation photographers, who dedicate their work to subjects such as the body, life, appearances, and reflections, will be presented alongside legends the likes of Helen Levitt, Germaine Krull, Susan Meiselas, Tom Wood and Eve Arnold.

With a pop-up store, Leica is offering visitors the opportunity to purchase, try-out and borrow equipment.

On July 2 and 3, Leica is organising a workshop there with the Belgian documentary photographer Tomas van Houtryve (Registration: www.leica-camera-france.fr).

Finally, within the framework of the Voies Off festival, that has been running alongside the Rencontres d’Arles with alternative presentations, portfolios and readings since 1996, a projection of this year’s Leica Oskar Barnack Award finalists will be presented after sunset on July 2, 3 and 4. Arles goes LOBA! ARLES 2019

In addition to stars such as Donna Ferrato, Berenice Abbott, William Klein and Joel Meyerowitz, Photo España this year will focus specifically on Spanish photography and the meaning of photographic collections. Beyond the exhibitions, workshops and competitions, the Spanish capital will become a Mecca for young photographic talent.

5 June — 1 September 2019 Photo: Délio Jasse

LES RENCONTRES DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE EXPOSITIONS 1ER JUILLET — 22 SEPTEMBRE RENCONTRES-ARLES.COM

MINISTÈRE DE LA CULTURE MINISTÈRE DE L’ÉDUCATION NATIONALE ET DE LA JEUNESSE DIRECTION RÉGIONALE DES AFFAIRES CULTURELLES PACA RÉGION PROVENCE-ALPES- CÔTE D’AZUR DÉPARTEMENT DES BOUCHES-DU-RHÔNE VILLE D’ARLES

PHOTOGRAPHIE (DÉTAIL) : OUKA LEELE. PELUQUERÍA, 1979 / AGENCE VU DESIGN ABM STUDIO

1 July — 22 September 2019, Photo: Helen Levitt, New York 1980

Cortona O n T h e M ov e f e s t i va l d i F o t o g r a f i a

Since ‘Friday for Future’ at the latest, climate change has now become an issue on everyone's mind. This year the Cortona on the Move festival is focussing on people and their environments. Using contemporary photography, this relationship will be interpreted in ways that are both complex and diverse.

11 July — 29 September 2019 Photo: Nanna Heitmann, Hiding from Baba Yaga

L a G ac i lly B r i t ta n y & B a d e n

The fall of the Wall 30 years ago represented a search for a new identity, a change to a new class system, and a journey into freedom. These developments were also taking place in Russia at the same time. With All Eyes East, the festival is focussing on photographic testimonials that have emerged as a result of this societal transformation.

At the same time, La Gacilly in Baden, Austria, presents nearly 2000 photographs on a route of 7 kilometres through the town’s parks and lanes.

Leica will also be present

there, and will host Mary Gelman, the winner of the 2018 Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award, to talk about her Svetlana project.

1 June — 30 September 2019, Photos: Maia Flore, Harmonies, France, Hendaye, September 28, 2016; Danila Tkachenko, Restricted Areas

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Sa lly M a n n

Sally Mann’s work revolves around the essential themes of human existence: desire, mortality, family, nature. A Thousand Crossings is a retrospective journey through four decades of the American artist’s oeuvre, as well as a thought-provoking analysis of heritage and identity.

G a r ry W i n o g ra n d B r o o kly n M u s e um , N e w Y o r k

“I photograph to find out what something will look like photographed,” Garry Winogrand (1928–1984) once said about his approach. A pioneer of the ‘snapshot aesthetic’ in contemporary art, Winogrand is famous for his black and white images of fleeting moments in the streets and suburbs of New York.

Few people, however, are aware that in the years from the early 1950s to the late 1960s, he also produced more than 45 000 colour slides. At the time, slides were expensive to make and considered something of a luxury, but Winogrand remained faithful to this medium for almost twenty years. Now a selection of more than 400 rarely or never published colour images will be displayed at the Brooklyn Museum in New York in the form of large-scale projections.

As well as retracing the evolution of colour photography before the 1970s, the exhibition also offers insights into the physical and social landscape of postwar America. During his numerous excursions, Winogrand captured the poetry of everyday life in public spaces – on the streets and highways, in motels, theatres, fairgrounds and amusement parks. His use of industrially-manufactured colour film reflects the advertising aesthetics of the era, and perfectly conveys the advent of consumerism in the United States.

When Winogrand passed away at just 56, he left behind an oeuvre made up of 250 000 images. Each of them shows a scene that was entirely incidental – captured by an artist who considered every situation, however ordinary, worthy of a photograph.

3 May — 8 December 2019; Photo: Garry Winogrand, Untitled (New York), circa 1965

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18 June — 22 September 2019; Photo: Sally Mann, Trumpet Flowers, 1991

G o r d o n Pa r k s G e t t y M u s e um , L o s A n g e l e s

In the early 1960s, the AfroAmerican photographer spent several weeks documenting the life of Flávio da Silva, a twelve-year-old boy growing up in a favela in Rio de Janeiro. The Flávio Story was published in Life magazine as a seminal photo essay about the hardships of social injustice.

9 July — 10 November 2019; Photo: Gordon Parks, Untitled, Rio de Jañeiro, Brazil 1977

Ed va n d e r El s k e n N e d e r l a n d s F o t o mu s e um , R o t t e r da m

When the archive of the Dutch photographer Ed van der Elsken (1925–1990) was found to be affected by mould, the Nederlands Fotomuseum launched an urgent media and crowdfunding campaign – enabling the successful restoration of 42 000 colour slides.

Now the museum presents the first retrospective of Elsken’s colour work, titled Lust for Life. “I sing the praises of life,” the artist once said. “I am not more complicated than that.

I sing everything: love, courage, beauty but also anger, blood, sweat and tears.” Vibrant and dynamic, Elsken’s images touch on the universal themes of love, life and death that unite us all.

25 May — 6 October 2019; Photos: Ed van der Elsken, Albert Cuypmarkt, 1983; Marseille 1974

Photos: Collection of the Center for Creative Photography, The University of Arizona. © The Estate of Garry Winogrand, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco; © Sally Mann; © Gordon Parks; Nederlands Fotomuseum/© Ed van der Elsken (2)

J e u d e Pa um e , Pa r i s

L e i c a G a ll e r i e s A r e n b e r g C a s tl e

M Elb o u r n e

Vincent Lagrange

Allan Schaller: Metropolis

AUT | 5020 Salzburg, Arenbergstr. 10 25 May — October 2019

AUS | Melbourne, VIC 3000, Level 1 St Collins Lane, 260 Collins Street 17 May — 31 July 2019

Ba n g ko k N u r e mb e r g

Pornphoj Kanjanahattakij

Volker Figueredo Véliz: Cuba – Inside

THA | 10330 Bangkok, 2nd Floor Gaysorn Village, 999 Ploenchit Road 18 June — 22 July 2019

GER | 90403 Nuremberg, Obere Wörthstr. 8 20 July — 19 October 2019

Boston Porto

Seen: A Collaboration USA | Boston, MA 02116, 74 Arlington St. 11 July — 21 July 2019 C o n s ta n c e

Anatol Kotte: Iconication GER | 78462 Constance, Gerichtsgasse 10 17 May — 18 August 2019 Frankfurt

Art Collection Leica Gallery Frankfurt GER | 60311 Frankfurt am Main, Großer Hirschgraben 15 13 July — 7 September 2019 I s ta n b u l

Collective Exhibition: Morocco 2019

J ü r g e n Sc h a d e b e r g L e i c A G a ll e r y P r a g u e

A passionate photographer with a humanistic eye – Jürgen Schadeberg, who was born and grew up in Germany, then emigrated to South Africa in 1950, has created an impressive body of work. The Leica Gallery in Prague is honouring him with A Tribute to the Masters of Photography: Jürgen Schadeberg.

TCH | 110 00 Prague 1, Školská 28 21 June — 8 September 2019

Singapore

Yasuhisa Ishii: A Sea of Cells, a Forest of Nerves

Mark Cohen

JPN | Tokyo, 6-4-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku 17 May — 18 August 2019

London, 64–66 Duke Street W1K 6JD 16 July — 31 August 2019

Photos: © Jürgen Schadeberg; © Ara Güler

BRA | 01240–000 São Paulo, Rua Maranhão, 600 Higienópolis 5 April — 5 July 2019

To kYo

London

ITA | 20121 Mailand, Via Mengoni 4 19 June — 13 July 2019

Lenny Kravitz: Flash

TWN | Taiwan, No. 3, Ln. 6, Qingtian St., Da’an Dist., Taipei City 106 End of April — July 2019

JPN | Kyoto, 570–120 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama-ku 25 May — 22 August 2019

Jean Pigozzi

S ão Pau l o

Wu Bai: It’s Not Far, Actually

Leslie Kee: Bookish

Milan

AUT | 5020 Salzburg, Gaisbergstr. 12 26 July — 28 September 2019

Ta i p e I

Kyoto

USA | West Hollywood, CA 90048, 8783 Beverly Boulevard 13 June — 31 July 2019

Pascal Dusapin

SIN | Singapore, Raffles Hotel Arcade, #01-20/21, 328 North Bridge Rd., 188719 16 May — 12 August 2019

TUR | 34381 Şişli/İstanbul, Bomontiada – Merkez, A Birahane Sk. No:1 Mid June — August 2019

Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Eye of the Century

Salzburg

Rosalynn Tay: Dream A Little Dream

Student Group Show featured by Dogus Group

Los Angeles

POR | 4000-427 Porto, Rua d. Sá da Bandeira, 48/52 15 June — 31 August 2019

A ra G ü l e r L e i c A G a ll e r y V i e n n a

The eye of Istanbul – since the fifties, Ara Güler (1928–2018) has been documenting like no other the bustle of the big city, as well as the hidden everyday life in Istanbul.

And he also created an impressive portrait gallery. The Leica Gallery in Vienna is now presenting an exciting selection.

AUT | 1010 Vienna, Walfischgasse 1 End of June — end of August 2019

wa r s AW

Thomas Herbrich: The Truth about the Moon Landing POL | 00–496 Warsaw, Mysia 3 13 June — 3 August 2019 Wetzlar

Lenny Kravitz: Drifter GER | 35578 Wetzlar, Am Leitz-Park 5 24 May — 25 August 2019 Zingst

Ekaterina Sevrouk: Last Paradise GER | 18374 Zingst, Am Bahnhof 1 24 May — 15 October 2019

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Vl a d i m i r A n ta k i T h e Gu a r d i a n s

W e : P h oto g ra p h s f r o m Ru s s i a 1 9 96 –2 0 1 7

What can the home life of one Russian family tell us about a wider sociological context? With his sensitive, poetic documentation of everyday domesticity, the British photographer (born 1960) has achieved that rare feat of capturing a piece of history that transcends the individual stories of those portrayed. The project began with a chance encounter: Askew met the Chulakovs in 1996 in the Russian city of Perm, Europe’s easternmost metropolis, where he was attending an exhibition opening.

Over the years, he frequently visited the Chulakovs at their home, developing a close friendship with the whole family – and taking countless pictures. The images featured in this book were selected from an archive of over 20 000 colour photographs, spanning twenty years and four generations of the Chulakov family.

Even the earliest snapshots, relaxed and unabashed, are always imbued with the compositional skills of a professional photographer. The scenes themselves are unspectacular: simple still lifes, shared mealtimes, flowers, pets, children at play – everyday moments of family life. And yet, from his vantage point as a guest and onlooker, Askew managed to turn this personal family album into something profoundly universal. “At the centre of my work is the desire to pay respect to the things in the world that I photograph, whether it’s a person, an artefact, a plant, or an animal,” the photographer explains. His long-term project has evolved into an epic and deeply compelling reflection on the meaning of life, and the beauty inherent in its smallest moments.

384 pages, 164 colour illustrations, 16.8 × 24 cm, English, Kerber

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112 pages, 58 colour illustrations, 30 × 24 cm, English/French, Kehrer

G u s tavo M i n a s M AXI M U M SHADOW M INI M A L L IGHT

A vibrant celebration of everyday life: Minas (born 1981) transforms ordinary scenes from daily life into surprising, kaleidoscopic compositions.

Intense colours and a strong interplay of light and shadow characterise the street photographer’s work, created mostly in São Paulo, Brasilia and his home city of Cássia.

1192 p, 95 illustrations, 17 × 23.5 cm, Engl/Portuguese, Lammerhuber

Al e x M a j o l i Scene

Deep blacks dominate the style of the Italian Magnum photographer (born 1971), whose work occupies an unusually singular position in the field of photojournalism: Majoli views himself not as an observer, but as an active participant in a subjective documentation. He is driven by the belief that “in any given situation, each person plays a given role in society”.

The images featured in this volume – characterised by a seamless merging of reality and fiction – are rooted in the same concept. Spanning twelve years, they show humanitarian crises, political upheavals, as well as quiet mo-

ments of everyday life. With their dark hues and barely illuminated figures, Majoli’s photos resemble theatrical performances on the human condition, in which gestures and moods are intensified.

126 pages, 70 illustrations, 38 × 22.5 cm, English, Mack Books

Photos: © John Askew, © Vladimir Antaki, © Gustavo Minas, © Alex Majoli/Magnum Photos

John peter Askew

A portrait series dedicated to the ‘guardians of urban temples’: the Parisian photographer (born 1980 in Saudi Arabia) travelled across Europe, the Middle East and the USA to portray shopkeepers in their small variety stores – celebrating the individuality, opulence and chaos of these characterful spaces in a world of generic retail chains.

S MAGAZINE ISSUE 9 20 228

PHOTOGRAPHERS PAGES · 9,90

€

L O O K To by B i n d e r

Photo: © Toby Binder

W e e M u c k e r s – Y o u t h o f B e lfa s t

Hardly a week goes by without new press reports on the UK’s Brexit negotiations. One aspect of this political drama, however, tends to receive only marginal media attention: the threat to peace in Ireland. If Brexit goes ahead, Northern Ireland will also be leaving the European Union, even though the majority voted to remain. An open border between Northern and Southern Ireland was a key condition of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, a peace treaty that marked the end of a violent, thirty-year civil war. Even today, the peace process is fragile: Brexit, and the possible reinstatement of a hard Irish border, might easily revive old conflicts.

For the past ten years, the German photographer (born 1977) has documented the lives of young people from working-class backgrounds in the UK. After the Brexit Referendum, he focused his attention on Belfast in Northern Ireland, where he accompanied youths from six different neighbour-

hoods, both Catholic and Protestant, with his camera. “The idea behind the book was to show that these two communities that seem to have such irreconcilable differences (not only, but including, the Brexit decision) actually have more in common than either of them would like to admit,” Binder explains. “While they still maintain their own symbolisms of identity and tradition, they wear the same clothes, have the same haircuts, listen to the same music, drink the same beer, take the same drugs and often have the same worries, such as violence, unemployment, social discrimination and a lack of prospects.”

The photographer established a very direct connection with his protagonists, who have grown up in an era of peace – but whose future is all the more threatened by the potential fallout of Britain leaving the EU.

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CUTTING-EDGE PHOTOGRAPHY BY

Enrique Badulescu Joachim Baldauf Brix & Maas Bil Brown Arved Colvin-Smith Anna Daki Rui Faria Christian Geisselmann Esther Haase Marie Hochhaus Benjamin Kaufmann James Meakin Monica Menez Hector Perez Elizaveta Porodina René & Radka Christian Rinke Tristan Rösler Takahito Sasaki SPECIAL

GUEST

Ellen von Unwerth

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120 pages, 87 duotone illustrations, 24 × 17.5 cm, English, Kerber

7

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Photos: © Shoji Ueda Office, © Eikoh Hosoe, © Yang Fudong, © Xu Zhuo

Clockwise from the top: Shoji Ueda, Gitanes, 1992; Eikoh Hosoe, man&woman#24, 1960; Yang Fudong, The Evergreen Nature of Romantic Stories, 1999; Xu Zhuo, SOS, 1980

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“ T h r e e S h a d ows i s a n a l i v e s pac e .“ i n t e rv i e w

The Sino-Japanese photographer duo RongRong&Inri have been working together for close to 20 years. In 2007 they founded the Three Shadows Center of Photography in Beijing. It is the first independent institution of its type in China.

LFI: Please tell us a bit about the per-

ception of photography in China.

Rongrong: China doesn’t lack good photographers, but because of the lack of institutions and platforms, the Chinese ecosystem for photography isn’t as healthy here as in many other countries, such as Japan. The Chinese economy continues to develop rapidly, but the country still needs to develop in terms of culture and art. We should invest more and pay attention to the relatively marginalized systems that exist for photography here. In fact, there have been many great photographers and civil groups in former times, such as the Light Society, the April Photo Society, the Hua Society, and so on, as well as many excellent magazines – but there are still very few photo institutions and we’re lacking a major Chinese photography museum. Chinese photography suffers because of a lack of Chinese research institutions, galleries and publications.

We very much hope it will continue to improve in the near future.

LFI: In China in former times, photography was not often considered art, but rather a means of propaganda.

Rongrong: I talk about photography as art, but in modern-day China, the public consumes pictures by way of advertisements, magazines, and other things of a promotional nature. The soul of photography is not deeply recognized by local people. Therefore, it still has a long way to go. We still don’t fully understand the craftsmanship involved in photography, which affects our appreciation of a work in every aspect.

LFI: You founded the Three Shadows

Photography Art Centre (Three Shadows) in Beijing in 2007. It seems that opening Three Shadows was vital to China’s artistic landscape.

Rongrong&Inri: Yes, Three Shadows is vital to China’s artistic landscape.

We created it together several years after we first met in 2000. Inri is from Japan and I’m from China – at first

I didn’t speak Japanese and she didn’t speak Chinese. So photography became our shared language. The birth of Three Shadows signifies this vision and belief in photography – we turned it into a physical entity. Before Three Shadows there was no independent photography space in Beijing or the rest of the country. We took pictures for a long time and periodically spent time at the 798 Art District in Beijing, but no galleries there were exclusive to photography. So we started from scratch and built Three Shadows brick-by-brick.

LFI: The Three Shadows Photography Art Centre is the first not-for-profit art space in China. What makes it special?

Rongrong&inri: We thought China desperately needed an art space focused on photography, and we decided to take the first step. We particularly valued photography books and wanted there to be a library. Inri and I →

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Award (TSPA), and through international events, photo festivals, our library, and lectures, all of which are significant. This kind of exchange in Beijing can enable China to understand photography, which I think is very important. lfi: Please tell us something about

Li Jianhong, At the Sea, from the series The Silent Place, 2015; very top: Tim Yip, from his series The Silent Passenger, 2012

RongRong&Inri, 2007.No. 20–3, from their series ThreeShadows.Beijing; top: Tang Xianying, Parallel World, 2018

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personally put 500 books into the collection, which has grown to become the largest photo book library in China.

That was an important component of the space from the beginning. We have tried to support Chinese photography in numerous ways: through exhibitions like 40 Years of Chinese Contemporary Photography (1976– 2017), which opened in 2017, through the Three Shadows Photography

LFI: What is the concept of the Three Shadows exhibition program?

Rongrong&Inri: Our mission is to use exhibitions, educational programs, publications, programs for artists, and independent events and engagements, to explore and showcase contemporary Chinese photography. We also intend to explore and showcase photographic works from the past and give them the place they deserve in the history of Chinese photography. We want to initiate a dialogue between China and the international art scene to establish China’s presence in the global world of photography. We want to be an independent mechanism for introducing contemporary pho-

Photos: © Tim Yip, © Li Jianhong, © RongRong&nri, © Tang Xianying

“ I n i t i at e a d i a lo g u e b e tw e e n C h i n a a n d t h e i n t e r n at i o n a l a rt s c e n e . ”

the educational program and the Three Shadows Award. Also you seem to have a vital exchange with international photographers.

Rongrong&Inri: We launched our educational program on the fifth anniversary of Three Shadows. We began inviting artists, curators, and photographers to hold workshops and offer photo courses to help an audience understand the medium of photography. The Three Shadows Photography Award is a very important platform for us – it helps identify and reward outstanding young artists, and it helps us see what Chinese artists are concentrating on and what they are expressing every year. This award embodies the core concept of Three Shadows – to nurture the livelihood of contemporary photography in China.

We greatly believe in building bridges to other countries and have an artistin-residence program that has hosted many different artists in Beijing.

tography to the general public, and influence and facilitate the development of photography here.

LFI: Three Shadows collaborates with the renowned photography festival Les Rencontres De La Photographie in Arles for the Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival in Xiamen.

Rongrong&Inri: We had successful collaborations in Beijing in 2009 and 2011. Fujian is my home province, so Xiamen is a special place for me, and after we opened our second branch there we began planning this new festival with Arles. The festival in Arles is, of course, one of the most influential and highest quality photo festivals in the world, and we think our festival is an extremely important way to promote the interaction of photographers from different countries and foster a cultural exchange. The festival includes works from international masters and young people, and this year will mark the fifth instalment.

 Leica Rope Straps Anything made for mountaineering must be durable and robust. Leica and COOPH have once again teamed up, this time to create a selection of hard-wearing camera straps made of genuine mountaineering rope. The result is a characterful accessory to carry your camera safely, comfortably and in rugged style.

LFI: What is your biggest success

with Three Shadows? What have been the highlights so far?

Rongrong&Inri: Three Shadows is an alive space. The biggest highlight is when you enter it.

LFI: What are your plans and visions for the future?

Rongrong&Inri: We hope that Three Shadows can develop independently and grow step-by-step, and that we can also return to our starting point and have time to create.

Interview: Carla Susanne Erdmann

Ro ngRo ng &I nri The Sino-Japanese artistic

duo comprised of RongRong, born in Zhangzhou, Fujian province in 1968, and Inri, born in Kanagawa prefecture, Japan in 1973, have lived and worked together since 2000. In 2007, they launched Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, China’s first independent photography centre. The complex includes 880 square meters of gallery space and was designed by renowned artist and architect Ai Weiwei.

Ex hi b i t i o n s : The Soften, The Glow and

Liang Xiu Solo Exhibition; both from 29 June to 28 July, 2019, Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, Beijing; www.threeshadows.cn

o rd e r n ow:

lf i- online.com/Sh o p

Leica Fotografie I n t e r n at i o n a l

M atjaz K r i v i c my picture

Full moon and a greeting from heaven: the Rainbow Gathering in the desert included a special encounter – but the Slovenian photographer was not really surprised.

71st year | Issue 5. 2019

LFI PHOTOGR A PHIE GMBH Springeltwiete 4, 20095 Hamburg, Germany Phone: +49 / 40 / 2 26 21 12 80 Fax: +49 / 40 / 2 26 21 12 70 ISSN: 0937-3977 www.lfi-online.com, mail@lfi-online.com Editor-in-Chief Inas Fayed A rt Direction Brigitte Schaller EDITORIA L OFFICE Michael J. Hußmann, Katrin Iwanczuk, Denise Klink, Bernd Luxa, Danilo Rößger, David Rojkowski picture desk Carol Körting layout Thorsten Kirchhoff Translation, Sub-Editing Robin Appleton, Hope Caton, Anna Sauper, Osanna Vaughn CONTRIBUTORS to this issue Carla Susanne Erdmann, Katja Hübner, Arianna Rinaldo, Ulrich Rüter, Holger Sparr, Katrin Ullmann M anagement Board Steffen Keil

Negev Desert, Israel 1997

Media SA LES A nd M arketing Kirstin Ahrndt-Buchholz, Samira Holtorf Phone: +49 / 40 / 2 26 21 12 72 Fax: +49 / 40 / 2 26 21 12 70 E-Mail: buchholz@lfi-online.de holtorf@lfi-online.de Valid ad-rate card No. 47, 1 January 2019 REPRODUcTION: Alphabeta, Hamburg Printer: Optimal Media GmbH, Röbel/Müritz PA PER: Igepa Profimatt

Rainbow Gatherings usually take place under open skies and in remote places. At these kind of meetings, where people from many different countries and subcultures come together, decisions concerning living together are made by consensus and with a minimum amount of fuss.

This picture was taken during a Rainbow Gathering in November 1997, in the Negev Desert – an incredibly beautiful place in the south of Israel.

It was a couple of days before the full moon and everyone had come together for the evening meal, when an ultralight plane flew over a few metres above the camp. Later the pilot landed close by and came to join us around the fire. It was a strange, interesting and delightful moment, that was completely unexpected; but, in fact, things like this always happen when the Rainbow Family get together.

Matjaz Krivic, born in 1972, has been working as a documentary photographer for over 20 years. His pictures have received a number of awards. In particular, he likes to immerse himself in the traditions of indigenous peoples, and in a diversity of subcultures.

L F I 6 / 2 0 1 9 w i ll a pp e a r o n 1 2 Au g u s t 2 0 1 9

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