Like hardly any other brand, Leica stands for the fine art of photography. And it is precisely this art that the manufacturer of high-quality cameras and lenses celebrates in Leica galleries around the world.
On September 16, 2017, the fifth location in Germany opened with the Leica Galerie NRW. Not in chic Düsseldorf or in cool Cologne, however. But in the Münsterland, more precisely: in Oelde. Because sonorous names mean nothing. In a gallery that bears this name, only quality counts - the quality of the photography shown on the one hand and the quality of the presentation on the other. At the Leica Galerie NRW, a man is responsible for both, who first developed an idea into a vision and then into a reality: Lars Beusker, established fashion and advertising photographer, artist and recently also gallery owner.
In everyday life, Beusker mostly uses his photographic skills to serve well-known brands such as SØR, Barbour or L'Oreal. A thoroughly professional way of working, perfect craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail are the focus here. And, as the industry demands today, an effective digital workflow. But Beusker is always tempted to return to the analog roots of photography. Because when you're shooting on film, every single exposure counts. You won't see the result until later, when the developer slowly pulls the image out of the paper. Analog photography is always a challenge for the photographer and at the same time his best training.
Lars Beusker apparently knows his way around challenges, and you really can't say that he shies away from them. Because after the first idea for his future gallery, he not only formulated its concept, but also started planning the exhibition space. In meticulous detail work, models of the building were created, repeatedly changed and refined, until finally the sixth model corresponded to his vision. The model and vision also convinced numerous supporters, so that the groundbreaking soon took place and the Leica Gallery NRW opened just a little over a year later.
The Leica Galerie NRW is through and through a very personal project for Beusker, a real affair of the heart. So it is absolutely fitting that the opening was celebrated with a vernissage of his own work. Under the title “What remains? Monochrome. ”A selection of his most impressive portraits was exhibited. The sometimes very large-format prints showed quite famous faces, such as those of Nadja Auermann or Peter Lindbergh.
Quite often, however, it is also people who are not in the limelight of the world, but simply live their own lives. Whether a fashion-conscious hipster in the big city or an honest farmer in Morocco, Lars Beusker has found and portrayed them all over the world. His camera view makes no difference between celebrities and nobody. The focus is on the person, with their very own expression, with their emotions and with the many, many stories that a face can tell if it is photographed well.
And the second exhibition at the Leica Galerie NRW is also dedicated to people and their faces and draws them in impressive black and white. Under the title “Personal Best For Leica”, selected works by Elliott Erwitt will be shown until the beginning of April, one of the world's most famous photographers who has been friends with his Leica camera for decades.
With an inconspicuously integrated sound system, the AUDITORIUM made a modest contribution to the overall result. But above all, the Leica Galerie NRW is a visually impressive exhibition space; conceived, designed and built to bring the photographs to their best advantage. And so, thanks to the imagination and initiative of Lars Beusker, the Münsterland is enriched by an attraction that is sure to attract art enthusiasts from all over Germany. Sorry, Düsseldorf.
LEICA GALLERY NRW
Mies van der Rohe way 1
59302 Oelde
Opening times: Tue - Fri 2pm - 6pm, Sat 10am - 2pm
Phone: + 49 2529 945 98 39
Email: info@leica-galerie.nrw
www.leica-galerie.nrw
