Bucerius Kunst Forum

This exhibition, developed in cooperation with the Stiftung F.C. Gundlach, is dedicated to the multifaceted work of F.C. Gundlach (1926–2021) – photographer, networker, collector, and patron, presenting his iconic fashion photographs alongside previously unpublished works as well as pieces by his peers, role models, and successors. 

Renowned for his pioneering fashion photography, Gundlach shaped the visual language of German fashion magazines for decades. His works engaged with questions of gender, identity, and social roles, establishing him as a central figure within cultural networks spanning Paris, New York, Rio de Janeiro, and Hamburg. For Gundlach, photography was never an isolated practice, but instead one always grounded in exchange with others – a principle that also defined his activities as a collector, gallerist, and mentor to emerging talents. 
The exhibition highlights these networks, showing how Gundlach’s openness and spirit of experimentation set aesthetic standards while simultaneously responding to broader social currents. It opens up new perspectives on his oeuvre by illuminating defining moments in his career without being overly retrospective in character. Alongside his celebrated and now-iconic photographs, visitors will encounter experimental works and new discoveries. His photography is set in dialogue with numerous works from his collection – from Edward Steichen and Richard Avedon to Nan Goldin – which collectively underscore the richness of his artistic path as shaped by reciprocal influences between individuals and society. 
Marking what would have been his 100th birthday, this is the first major exhibition devoted to Gundlach since his passing in 2021 and situates his impact on the visual culture of his time in a broader context in which photography exists as art form, technical medium, and cultural asset, making clear how strongly his visions have shaped photographic culture to this day.

This exhibition is curated by Sebastian Lux, Franziska Mecklenburg and Sophie-Charlotte Opitz.

With works by F. C. Gundlach, Richard Avedon, Erwin Blumenfeld, Robert Frank, Nan Goldin, David Hockney, William Klein, Roy Lichtenstein, Martin Munkácsi, Irving Penn, Regina Relang, Edward Steichen, Otto Steinert, Rosemarie Trockel, and Wim Wenders, among others.