"Andreaz Herzau. Gucken." Book presentation and exhibition as part of Leipzig liest

The F.C. Gundlach Foundation for Photography, together with Nimbus. Art and Books, invites you to the presentation of the book "Andreas Herzau. Gucken. Gespräche über Fotografie mit Sebastian Lux" on Saturday, March 21st at 7 pm. In addition to Sebastian Lux, Andreas Herzau's partner Renate Ruhne and the publisher Bernhard Echte will also be present. Andreas Ebbert-Scholl will read from the book. The event takes place as part of Leipzig liest at Monopol Leipzig, House 5, Haferkornstr. 15.
A selection of Herzau's works will be on display there from March 20th to 23rd, from 3 pm to 7 pm. The opening reception will take place on March 19th at 5 pm.

In their directness, the photographs of Andreas Herzau, who died far too young in 2024, express a truthfulness of observation that surprisingly renews the medium of photography. Through extensive interviews, "Looking" offers insight into Herzau's view of the world—as a photographer and attentive observer of his time. In conversations with Sebastian Lux, Herzau reflects on the developments in photography and photojournalism since the 1990s, analyzes the consequences of media change on a technical, economic, and artistic level, and reports on the increasing political pressure to which visual media are subjected—even to the threat of "deepfakes" from emerging AI. At the same time, however, he emphasizes the new creative freedom that photography has gained in a world increasingly photographed—one simply has to look around with an open mind.

For Andreas Herzau, photography was far more than a medium for documenting the world. It was an expression of his stance, a commentary, a counter-argument. Above all, it was an instrument for making visible what is all too easily overlooked—and for asking questions instead of offering simplistic answers. His work combined artistic precision with political awareness. His critical, left-leaning perspective was palpable, but never dogmatic. Even when he created aesthetic freedoms for himself—his striking use of cropping being particularly noteworthy—photography was never merely an artistic act for him, but always also a political one: a practice of attention, participation, and responsibility.

He always sought connection – to people, situations, and social contexts. Andreas was an attentive friend, a dedicated colleague, an upright man – and a passionate team player. Closeness, exchange, and the shared struggle for positions and values shaped his life as much as his work. His professional biography testifies to curiosity, change, and the continuous expansion of his forms of expression. Whether on a taxi ride across India, traveling through war-torn Rwanda, or strolling through Hamburg's Schanzenviertel district: his photography was always also a plea for an independent, subjective, and critical press in an open society.

"I am forced to be attentive, to open up, and to realize that there is nothing more beautiful than taking photographs – in order to understand."

Andreas Herzau

The studio exhibition offers insight into the diverse work of this exceptional Hamburg photographer. On display are excerpts from seven photographic series: New York, Calcutta-Bombay, Moscow, Flight, Helvetica, Liberia, and AM. These works are complemented by a slide show featuring photographs from Rwanda, Liberia, and the deportation detention center in Hamburg, taken from the publication "Flight" (1997), whose dramatic impact has sadly lost none of its relevance.

Exhibition and book launch by the F.C. Gundlach Foundation for Photography in cooperation with Nimbus. Art and Books .