LightImages
September 3, 2026 – October 10, 2026
Lothar Wolleh
PANGALLERY
With “Lothar Wolleh – LichtBilder,” PANGALLERY in Frankfurt presents an exhibition that offers a fresh perspective on the photographic work of one of the most significant German photographers of the postwar era. For the first time in this format, the exhibition focuses on Wolleh’s color and abstract works, which impressively demonstrate his experimental understanding of photography as an independent artistic medium.
The exhibition is complemented by a selection of iconic artist portraits that brought Lothar Wolleh international recognition. His photographs of René Magritte and representatives of the German and European avant-garde—including Joseph Beuys and Günther Uecker—are now considered among the most influential visual records of 20th-century art. Wolleh succeeded in balancing intimacy and detachment in a way that makes his portraits timeless points of reference.
A special section of the exhibition focuses on a previously unpublished body of work: the series “Men of Business.” These portraits were created in the 1970s but could not be published at the time due to the security situation and an increased threat of terrorism. Their first-ever presentation offers a new perspective on Wolleh’s interest in social elites outside the art world and significantly broadens our understanding of his body of work.
Lothar Wolleh was not only an outstanding portrait photographer, but also the initiator of independent photographic projects in which he combined artistic, social, and conceptual themes. With his consistent view of photography as an autonomous form of artistic expression, he was ahead of his time in many respects.
The exhibition “Lothar Wolleh – LichtBilder” brings this complexity to light and invites visitors to rediscover Wolleh’s work—which spans the spectrum from iconic portraiture to radical photographic originality.