Travelling Images
Wicki focused primarily on people and their seemingly mundane activities, and painted a haunting picture of the aftermath of World War II.
In his photographic expeditions, human life takes centre stage. People are ubiquitous even when they are out of focus in a frame; modest objects and indistinct marks represent their presence. His photos outline a period profoundly shaken by the catastrophic events of World War II, during which all visions of utopia were snuffed out, yet humanity and hope somehow survived.
Visionary German photographer Bernhard Wicki's (1919-2000) astounding images are on display at Dirk Gallery in Dhanmondi, Dhaka at present. Goethe-Institut Bangladesh, in association with Drik Gallery, presents the travelling photography exhibition that started on January 22. The exhibition comes from Prague and will travel to other countries afterwards.
Wicki made his mark as a director and actor as well. His best-known cinematic work is “The Bridge”. One of his major sources of inspiration [in photography] was Italian neo-realist cinema. The masterpieces of De Sica and Rossellini like “Bicycle Thief” and “Rome, Open City” made lasting impact on his photography and, later, on his filmmaking.
At the age of 50, Wicki created a unique artistic style of photography. He photographically documented his trips. He worked in many countries including France, Italy, Bosnia, Morocco and Tunisia.
Wicki focused primarily on people and their seemingly mundane activities, and painted a haunting picture of the aftermath of World War II. The exhibition at Drik features 40 such images.
When photographing people, Wicki concentrated on the individual. The women, men and even children he portrayed seem rapt in an utterly hopeless state of solitude.
The subjects are somehow stylised without being clichéd; their personalities unveiled through careful and sensitive mise-en-scène far from the conventions of star portraiture.
Wicki took up photography in a city whose magical lure entangles every photographer -- the city of love, Paris. He was self-taught. Paris' realm of shades and famous squares and boulevards captivated him. He took hundreds of photos of the city but printed only a few. He sought the commonplace, random and seemingly incidental aspects of life.
The photographs taken by Wicki are seemingly guided by intuition, albeit with a distinct sense of composition. They are fleeting glimpses, snapshots as they were.
In later years, he photographed mostly when he was away from home for longer periods, whether shooting in Bosnia and Morocco or on holiday in Italy and France. He seldom photographed in Munich where he lived. A crucial criterion for the photographer was the uninhibited openness to new visual impressions.
Wicki's work stands in a category of its own within German post-war photography.
The exhibition will remain open everyday from 3pm to 8pm till January 31.
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