Street Scenes with Wit

The exhibition encompasses over 180 of the renowned Magnum photographer’s work prints from the 1950s to the 1980s – culminating in a kaleidoscope of coincidences, iconic shots and quirky compositions. One wall in the exhibition, however, is vacant: this is where visitors are invited to showcase their own photographs. 

In five chapters, the SGK looks back over Elliott Erwitt’s extensive and humorous oeuvre. The starting point is a small selection of pictures ‘Made in Karlsruhe’, captured while the photographer was stationed in the German city during his US military service in the 1950s. These street scenes, which have rarely or (in many cases) never been shown before, offer insights into life in Karlsruhe at that time, and reveal Erwitt’s gift for telling both personal and universal stories through his images.