Duo Exhibition
»Tokyo meets Berlin – A Tale of two Cities«
Photographs by Markus Lehr & Toru Ukai
This exhibition tries to spark a visual discourse between two major urban areas and societies. “Tokyo meets Berlin” is also a meeting of two photographers, whose bodies of work are deeply connected in the way they are seeing their personal habitats but also in their strong interest in human beings.
Both photographers not only complement each other in the subtle features of their work, but also display an inspiring cultural dialogue which will reward you with a profound experience.
Toru Ukai (鵜養 透) is a master in creating zen-like moments, almost feeling like they are subconsciously conceived. His images often show an urban scene that has come to a sudden stop. He says:
A photo could perceive something hidden in our daily life flowing continuously. Photography is a secret ceremony going back and forth between “the visible” and “the invisible”.
His pictures are less invitations for interpretation but more for meditation.
This is also your first chance to see a concise body of work of the Japanese photographer in Germany.
Markus Lehr captures the interaction between places, artifacts and traces of human interference in urban spaces. The mood, the light and the textures of his images create a unique sense of space, making his work densely atmospheric, even dramatic at times. He says:
There was a time in my life when I worked in a theatre. And that moment after everybody has left the theatre and the stage was empty and quiet, that was always the most precious one for me. The show was over, the light still directed on the stage, but nobody was watching it anymore. What I am looking for in my work is just like that.”
His lush orchestrations of the urban landscape show a world mostly without people but with omnipresent human traces. He will present a new selection of his works in close relationship to Toru’s offerings.
Markus Lehr lives and works in Berlin. Toru Ukai joins us for the exhibition from Tokyo.
Sep 7 — Oct 19, 2019
Opening Reception: Friday, Sep 6, 7 pm
Pestalozzistraße 13, 10625 Berlin
[District: Charlottenburg | Borough: Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf]
Opening hours: Tue – Fri 12 am – 6 pm, Sat 10 am – 3 pm
Admission free