Spotlight on photo culture – Exhibitions and festivals in May 2025
India in double vision, photography in exile, street photography from Leica archive and photo festival in Zingst – May has a lot to offer for photography fans.
(Image: Torsten A. Hoffmann)
India as a field of tension
India is loud, colorful, contradictory – and often difficult to grasp for many Western viewers. The exhibition "Moving India: Torsten A. Hoffmann | Craig Semetko", which can be seen at the Leica Gallery in Stuttgart from May 9 to July 12, 2025, approaches this complex country from two very different photographic perspectives. German photographer Torsten A. Hoffmann and American street photographer Craig Semetko show India in all its diversity – with a great deal of respect, curiosity and creative flair.
(Image:Â Torsten A. Hoffmann )
Both photographers focus on the city of Mumbai, which is also Stuttgart's twin city. Here, contrasts clash particularly dramatically: extreme poverty and economic boom, informal settlements and futuristic architecture. This is precisely where Hoffmann starts with his series "Architecture of the Poor". He documents life in the Dharavi slum, one of the largest in the world. The combination of long exposures and color-intensive motifs creates impressive, almost painterly images. But Hoffmann not only shows buildings, he also portrays the people who live there with great empathy.
Craig Semetko takes a completely different approach to the subject. The Leica photographer is a master of street photography – inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson – with an eye for the decisive moment. In "India Unposed", Semetko captures the seemingly trivial, which often turns out to be profound or even absurd. His black and white photographs are pointed, sometimes humorous, but always human. He does not photograph everyday life as folklore, but as an honest reflection of society.
"Moving India" does not show one India, but many faces of a country full of contrasts. An exhibition worth seeing for anyone interested in photography as a means of viewing the world.
Photographic art in exile
From April 4 to June 22, 2025, the Art and Culture Center (KuK) in Monschau (near Aachen) is showing the exhibition "Photographic Art in Exile 1928-1949". The show sheds light on a hitherto little-known chapter in the history of photography: the photographic work of artists in exile. Many of them were of Jewish origin or politically committed and had to flee from the National Socialists in the 1930s to Paris, London, Mexico, New York or Palestine. Some already had an established photographic oeuvre, others only found their way to the camera in exile. Despite the difficult circumstances, many created expressive portraits, socially critical reportages and avant-garde compositions – photographic works that still have an impact today, but are often overshadowed by other great narratives.
(Image:Â David Seymour)
The exhibition spans an arc from the Weimar Republic through the years of flight to the end of the Second World War and documents both artistic continuities and breaks in biographies. The focus is on the photographic positions of Grete Stern, Ellen Auerbach, Roman Vishniac and Walter Zadek, among others – Names that are familiar to connoisseurs, but which also need to be rediscovered for a wider audience.
What makes this exhibition so special is that it combines art-historical depth with photographic quality. It is not only about history, but also about visual language, styles and personal perspectives. The black and white photographs, often on silver gelatine paper, testify to technical skill, but also to great empathy. Many of the works on display have long been overlooked or forgotten.
Masterpieces of street photography
Leica Welt in Wetzlar is currently showing the exhibition "The Magic of the Street - Masterpieces of Street Photography from the Leica Archive". It runs until September 29 and shows important snapshots from almost 100 years of street photography. Whether a scene on a Parisian boulevard, a fleeting glimpse of an American crosswalk or children playing in the alleyways of Havana, the street has always been the scene of real life.
(Image:Â Magnum Photos/Alex Webb)
With the new exhibition in Wetzlar, the long-established company is now showing highlights from its image archive. The approximately 80 photographs are by renowned photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Bruce Gilden, Thomas Hoepker, Alex Webb and Mary Ellen Mark, all of whom are considered masters of their craft and many of whom have traveled with a Leica camera. The exhibited works not only show different photographic styles, but also the development of a genre that only became possible with the advent of the 35mm camera. Without Leica, street photography would not be as we know it today. The small, quiet cameras made it possible for the first time to take spontaneous pictures in public spaces, without causing a great stir, but with great proximity to the subject.
In addition to the images, there is supplementary archive material, background information on the photographs and a video installation with interviews. The importance of street photography in today's world – Keyword data protection and urban image culture – is also addressed.
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Focus on resources – Horizons Zingst
The 18th "horizonte zingst" environmental photography festival will take place in Zingst on the Baltic Sea from May 23 to June 1, 2025. This year's theme is resources and once again promises a packed program of exhibitions, workshops, lectures and activities relating to photography and sustainability.
(Image:Â Holger Martens / horizonte zingst)
The central theme runs like a common thread through the curated exhibitions throughout the town. On display will be works by international and national photographers who deal with the challenges of our time – Climate change, species extinction, migration and social justice. However, the focus is not only on crises, but also on solutions, visions and the resilience of nature and people.
The festival offers numerous opportunities to expand their knowledge, especially for tech-savvy photography enthusiasts. Over 80 workshops are on the program, from classic landscape photography to portrait and street photography to drone photography and video. Renowned lecturers and brand partners such as Leica, Nikon, Canon and Olympus will be on hand. Anyone who wants to can test equipment on site, ask questions and exchange ideas in person.
What makes the festival in Zingst so special is the way it is embedded in the surroundings of the Baltic Sea and the coastal town of Zingst. Large-format open-air exhibitions on the dyke, on the beach or in the spa gardens make photography visible and accessible to everyone. In the evening, the facades of the houses are transformed into projection screens for moving photo stories – a visual experience in the open air.
Visit c't Fotografie at the photo market of the environmental photo festival "horizonte zingst"! Our editorial team will be in the heart of the Fischland-DarĂź-Zingst peninsula, where the photo market stretches from the fish market to the pier and is open to all visitors free of charge. It offers a good opportunity to extensively test new camera models and accessories. All the major brands in the industry are represented, and many also offer a check & clean service.
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