Twelfth of twelve exhibitions taking place at Leica Galleries worldwide to mark the 100th anniversary of the Leica 

An ambitious cultural undertaking featuring twenty-four photographers in twelve cities on four continents is coming to an end in Vienna. Leica Gallery Vienna is showing the last instalment of the exhibition series In Conversation: A Photographic Dialogue Between Yesterday and Today with work by photography icon Barbara Klemm and newcomer Lena Mucha, opening on 5 December 2025. Admission is free. Throughout the year, exhibitions in the form of photographic dialogues have been taking place at Leica Galleries around the globe. They have featured famous figures in photography who have been inducted into the Leica Hall of Fame paired with up-and-coming talent. The stars of this major endeavour have included Bruce Davidson, Steve McCurry and Joel Meyerowitz.

The Vienna exhibition is now showcasing the work of Barbara Klemm, who is seen as a trailblazer for women in press photography. Her work has been paired with the specially developed series Pioneers by Berlin reportage photographer Lena Mucha, who followed two young Yezidi women in their everyday lives in their diaspora in Germany. Thematically, the exhibit addresses the importance of photography for the documentation of current events as well as its (mostly patriarchal) influence on public perception and our collective memory.

The Artists: Sensitive Perception Meets Activism and Trauma

Born in 1939, Barbara Klemm has covered the political events of recent history with her camera like few other women photographers working in Germany. She spent three decades on staff as an editorial photographer for the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and documented countless events and figures from the world of German and international politics and culture. She eschewed sensationalism in her images, yet captured the very essence of them, showing respect for human motives.

Born in 1983, Lena Mucha has been equally successful in winning the trust of the women who feature in her work, having followed them for two years to document their personal stories. Political activism and dealing with trauma are both themes that Mucha sought to translate into a visual medium.

Trailblazer and Role Model

“A contemporary situation takes material form whenever a photo is taken for the press. Images of current events shape how we see reality, making nuanced perspectives all the more critical. Press photography remains male-dominated to this day – it’s still rare to see the world through a woman’s lens, and many voices remain under-represented”, says Laura Ettel, Leica Gallery Vienna Manager. According to Ettel, it is crucial to have significant role models for young talent in art and photography, allowing the world to be viewed through a woman’s lens. The new exhibition demonstrates how female photographers like Barbara Klemm have paved the way for the generations that have followed.

“Barbara Klemm’s iconic photos have not only shaped the cultural and political memory of her time, they have also had an enormous influence on countless young women in press photography thanks to her captivating imagery and precise eye for the essential”, Ettel states. “At the same time, her work represents an approach to photography that does not seek out the spectacular but rather brings the person and their feelings to the fore. I see a similarly empathic approach in the imagery in Lena Mucha’s work.”

The interplay between Lena Mucha and Barbara Klemm’s works can be seen at the Leica Gallery Vienna (Seilergasse 14, 1010 Vienna) from 5 December 2025 to 7 February 2026. Admission is free.

DATES:

Exhibition duration: 5 December 2025 – 7 February 2026

Opening hours: Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Opening: Thursday, 4 December, 6 p.m. Barbara Klemm and Lena Mucha as well as Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Art Director and Chief Representative of Leica Galleries International, will be in attendance – PRIVATE OPENING, press ticket upon request (contact: Laura Ettel, gallery.vienna@leica-camera.com).

Screening: Friday, 5 December, 2:30 p.m. Surprise Leica film shown in the Austrian Film Museum with the director in attendance – PRIVATE SCREENING, press tickets upon request (contact: Laura Ettel, gallery.vienna@leica-camera.com).[AS1] 

Artist talk: Friday, 5 December, 6:00 p.m. With Barbara Klemm and Felix Hoffmann at Foto Arsenal Wien, Arsenal Objekt 19A, 1030 Vienna.

The exhibition was made possible with the kind support of WhiteWall. The screening and artist talk are organised in cooperation with Foto Arsenal Wien.

Terms of use for image material:

Please bear in mind the copyright cited in the image caption. The use of the images in connection with reporting on the exhibition “In Conversation” at the Leica Gallery Vienna is permitted. The image material may only be used in connection with reports about the exhibition. Image material may not be edited, cropped or covered with text.

About Barbara Klemm:

Barbara Klemm is a precise chronicler of the times in which we live. Her shots document the key moments that shaped our photographic memory. The photographer began working with the FAZ in 1959. From 1970 to the end of 2004, she was on staff as an editorial photographer, focusing on politics and culture. From student protests, the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall to the Kohl era and modern Germany – Klemm always got the right shot. She also sensitively captured the everyday lives of people around the world with her travel photography. Klemm received countless awards, such as the Dr. Erich Salomon Award for her commitment to photojournalism from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Fotografie (German Photographic Society) in 1989 and the Leica Hall of Fame Award for her life’s work in 2012.

About Lena Mucha:

Lena Mucha is a freelance photographer, based in Berlin. She completed her master’s degree in political science and social anthropology in Cologne in 2011. She has received the “Reporters in the Field” stipend for her photo reportage, among other accolades. In 2016, she received scholarships for Magnum workshops with Patrick Zachmann and David Alan Harvey. Her work has appeared in publications such as Burn Magazine, Vice Colombia, The Huffington Post, Stern and Lensculture. She focuses on socio-political issues and work with minoritised groups. As a photographer, she undertakes commissions for organisations such as National Geographic, GEO, Washington Post, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Der Spiegel, ZEIT, Doctors Without Borders, and more.

100 Years of Leica: Witness to a Century

In 2025, Leica Camera AG is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Leica I, which was first presented to the public at the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1925. As the first 35 mm still camera to be mass-produced, it exceeded all expectations. With its compact and handy format, it opened up a whole range of new photographic applications. All around the globe, Leica Camera AG is celebrating 100 years of continuous camera production and the camera that revolutionised the world of photography, under the motto “100 Years of Leica: Witness to a Century”. Cultural projects and extraordinary special-edition products will be launched throughout the year at international events organised by the Leica national subsidiaries in the major cities of Dubai, Milan, New York, Shanghai and Tokyo. The anniversary week, which took place at the company’s headquarters in Wetzlar in June, marked the high point of the celebrations. On top of that, visitors can look forward to top-class exhibitions in the worldwide network of Leica Galleries with works by outstanding photographers.

Press enquiries:

Leonard Häusler-Dworschak

YIELD

Tel.: +43 676 50 22 609

Mail: l.haeusler-dworschak@yield.at