Günter Rössler's Centenary Exhibition at Kunsthaus Apolda

Kunsthaus Apolda in Thuringia is hosting a posthumous retrospective of Günter Rössler, the influential East German photographer who would have turned 100 in 2024. The exhibition features 130 works spanning six decades, including fashion photography, reportage from his travels, and his renowned nude studies. Rössler, who died in 2012 in Leipzig, revolutionized fashion and nude photography in the GDR during the 1960s, treating them as serious art forms. His natural poses and direct gazes conveyed a new female self-confidence. The show is curated by his widow and estate manager Kirsten Schlegel, who also modeled for him. An audio guide includes voices of his models, including their daughter Filia. The exhibition is complemented by Fred R. Willitzkat's documentary "Günter Rössler: Die Genialität des Augenblicks" and Matthias Eckert's accompanying show "LEIB & SEELE." Rössler worked exclusively analog, often in black and white, using dodging techniques in the darkroom. His approach avoided objectification, emphasizing naturalness and individuality, a contrast to today's influencer and filter-driven aesthetics.