Between City and Silence

Kit Young

Young’s work unfolds in the tension between urban energy and contemplative calm. His street photography from cities such as Paris, New York, and Venice captures fleeting, poetic moments of urban life, transforming them into images of powerful atmospheric presence. These are complemented by quiet, expansive landscapes from Scotland and Wales, which, through reduction, subtle tonal gradations, and sensitive lighting, evoke an almost meditative effect. Strong contrasts, reflections, and deliberate use of blur give the works a dreamlike quality, while precise compositions guide and concentrate the viewer’s gaze.

All exhibited silver gelatin prints were personally hand-crafted by Kit Young in his darkroom specifically for this exhibition, making the close relationship between photographic vision and masterful printing technique clearly visible.

Born in 1984, Kit Young began his photographic career in 2009 when he moved to France and joined a Paris-based photography group around Gérard Moulin. There, he deepened his engagement with analogue photography and perfected the art of darkroom printing. For Young, photographing and printing are two independent yet mutually enriching disciplines: the intuitive vision with the camera and the precise, methodical work in the darkroom. The four edges of the negative always form his frame of reference – an honest record of what he has seen.

“I consider myself both a photographer and a printer. The photographer in me is spontaneous and instinctive, the printer methodical and meditative. Both are united by curiosity and the joy of experimentation – without fear of mistakes.”

Location: Leica Galerie Salzburg, Gaisbergstraße 12, 5020 Salzburg
Dates: 17th April – 18th July 2026
Opening: Thursday, 16th April 2026, 18:30, the photographer is present
Artist Talk: Friday, 17th April 2026, 17:30, Kit Young in conversation with Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Art Director and General Manager of Leica Galleries International
Workshop: Saturday, 18th April 2026, registration at salzburg@leica-galerie.at

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Friday: 2:00 – 6:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Admission is free!