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A Closer Look
A Closer Look
Bruce Gilden
August 20, 2025
New York City, USA, 1978
© Bruce Gilden / Magnum Photos
A Closer Look was conceptualised by Kunstfoyer director Isabel Siben in close collaboration with the exceptional Leica photographer. On view are 50 of Bruce Gilden’s black and white street photographs, captured (from 1969 onwards) in places ranging from Coney Island and other parts of New York City, all the way to London, Paris, Haiti, Ireland and Japan. They are complemented by 22 large-scale portraits from the artist’s famous Faces series, filling the space with their visual power and radical authenticity.
Born in 1946 in Brooklyn, New York, Gilden has spent the past five decades exploring countless cities with his camera. In 1998, he joined the legendary Magnum agency, becoming a full member in 2002. From the very beginning, he has turned his gaze to the margins, to the precarious realities that society prefers to overlook. Gilden is drawn to the “invisibles” – the misfits and underdogs on the fringes of society, noticed (at best) by social workers or emergency services. And yet, he is no moralist. To provide a deeper understanding of the photographer’s work, the exhibition also features two accompanying texts by Freddy Langer and Max Blagg. In addition, audiences can enjoy a first-hand account by the artist, both in the Kunstfoyer’s “Cinema Room” and in a virtual tour, accessible on the venue’s website or YouTube.
Katrin UllmannBorn in 1946 in Brooklyn, New York, Gilden has spent the past five decades exploring countless cities with his camera. In 1998, he joined the legendary Magnum agency, becoming a full member in 2002. From the very beginning, he has turned his gaze to the margins, to the precarious realities that society prefers to overlook. Gilden is drawn to the “invisibles” – the misfits and underdogs on the fringes of society, noticed (at best) by social workers or emergency services. And yet, he is no moralist. To provide a deeper understanding of the photographer’s work, the exhibition also features two accompanying texts by Freddy Langer and Max Blagg. In addition, audiences can enjoy a first-hand account by the artist, both in the Kunstfoyer’s “Cinema Room” and in a virtual tour, accessible on the venue’s website or YouTube.
ALL IMAGES ON THIS PAGE: © Bruce Gilden
Bruce Gilden+-
Born in Brooklyn in 1946, Gilden found his calling after watching the Michelangelo Antonioni film, Blow Up. He became known for using a flash for his street photography. Gilden has also been working with digital and in colour for a few years now. More
New York City, USA, 1978
© Bruce Gilden / Magnum Photos
Donna, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, 2014
© Bruce Gilden / Magnum Photos
Dewayn, State Fair, Des Moines, Iowa, USA, 2014
© Bruce Gilden / Magnum Photos
London, Great Britain, 2012
© Bruce Gilden / Magnum Photos
George Abe, Tokyo, Japan, 1998
© Bruce Gilden / Magnum Photo
Angel, Overtown, Miami, Florida, USA, 2022
© Bruce Gilden / Magnum Photos