Harry Gruyaert, Théâtre de la couleur

From October 3, 2026, to January 9, 2027, the Leica Gallery presents “Harry Gruyaert, Theatre of Colour”, an exhibition dedicated to one of Europe’s leading pioneers of colour photography. A member of Magnum Photos since 1986, Harry Gruyaert has spent more than fifty years developing an instantly recognisable body of work, in which colour, light and composition transform the most ordinary scenes into images of remarkable intensity.

The exhibition brings together works created between 1986 and the 2000s, a period that marked Harry Gruyaert’s transition to digital photography. Created in 1914 by Oskar Barnack, the Leica revolutionised photographic practice by offering photographers an unprecedented freedom of movement. Its compact and discreet format gave rise to a new way of looking at the world, one that was more immediate and closer to reality. Harry Gruyaert is firmly rooted in this legacy: his camera becomes a natural extension of his eye, allowing him, throughout his travels, to capture those moments when light and colour come together with an almost painterly precision.

It was this intimate relationship between the photographic tool and the photographer’s vision that the Leica Foundation* sought to highlight by bringing together photographers whose individual approaches, while distinctive, shared the same commitment to aesthetic excellence and the decisive moment. Through this exhibition, the Leica Gallery pays tribute not only to Harry Gruyaert’s work, but also to the photographic tradition that, image by image, has shaped the way we see the world in colour.

In collaboration with Gallery FIFTY ONE