The Americans I Met

Almost 60 years after the publication of Robert Frank’s The Americans, German photographer Viktor Hübner set out on a U.S. road trip of his own – hitchhiking across 41 states with no fixed route and equipped only with his camera, audio recorder, and the bare minimum of supplies.

In the course of his journey – which took place in the wake of Donald Trump’s inauguration – Hübner travelled 26,000 kilometres, relying entirely on the hospitality of strangers as he moved through both urban and rural areas. With disarming openness and curiosity, he engaged with people from all walks of life, documenting their personal stories and life realities along the way.

At the same time, he bore witness to a country marked by social and political division during one of the most turbulent periods in recent U.S. history.

Hübner’s artistic approach is driven by a deep interest in the lives and experiences of others. In his work he explores themes such as community, uprootedness, ideologies and socio-political tensions, using photography as well as sound recordings and written documentation. He believes that capturing fragments of the present is essential to fostering a deeper understanding of the complexities of identity, society, and the pressing challenges of our time.