From 14 June to 01 September 2024, the World of Leica presents photographer and filmmaker Philipp Reinhard, who has been accompanying the German national football team as team photographer since 2017. His pop-up exhibition Black, Red, Gold at Café Leitz shows a selection of images from the exhibition of the same name at the Leica Gallery Stuttgart that open up a new perspective on the world of top-class sport. Football fans and photography enthusiasts alike will get their money's worth.
Philipp Reinhard's photographs are an impressive retrospective on more than seven years with the German national football team. His portfolio includes numerous international matches, training sessions and championships. As the official DFB team photographer, he is responsible for team photos, player portraits and match highlights. Additionally, he captures training sessions, inconspicuous moments from the sidelines and intimate, close-up snapshots. This creates a multi-layered picture of the team, and Reinhard's photographic quality is impressive. Through his photographs, we can sense and follow the team spirit and dynamics from various perspectives.
Reinhard often takes a step back as a photographer and uses his framing to show us that photography plays an important but at the same time subordinate role in the everyday lives of players. For example, the set for the player portraits is in the smallest of spaces in a hotel room. In terms of photography, Reinhard likes to take on the role of the silent observer. With respect and sensitivity, he shows us private moments without infringing on the subjects’ right to privacy. In addition, he sometimes creates abstract images of inconspicuous side moments. Formal compositions, in which the subject of football recedes into the background and the photographic quality is enriched with an important nuance in the overall view, complement the exhibition.
The exhibition begins just in time for the start of the European Football Championship taking place in Germany. The German team's progress in the tournament will also be reflected in the exhibition: the exhibition will be successively expanded with new photographs from the national team's matches, providing current insights into the tournament from the photographer’s perspective.
Philipp Reinhard, born in 1990, is a passionate photographer and filmmaker specialising in reportage, portraits and campaigns. His focus is always on people - especially in the context of sport. Benjamin Lorenz, editor-in-chief at Chip Foto-Video, describes his work as ‘intense, close, honest.’ Reinhard captures extraordinary and fleeting moments that often go unnoticed.
The exhibition Black, Red, Gold! can be seen from 14 June to 01 September 2024 at Café Leitz (Am Leitz-Park 5 in Wetzlar). Café Leitz is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free.