Leica's Milan Flagship Opens with Kaufmann as Art Director

Leica Camera AG has opened a new flagship store in Milan, just fifty meters from the Duomo, featuring a repair station, vintage sales, and an exhibition space. Karin Kaufmann, Art Director and Chief Representative of Leica Galleries International, oversees the company's 26 galleries worldwide, set to expand to 30 with new spaces in New York and Paris. Kaufmann emphasizes Leica's commitment to analog photography, noting that print sales are growing despite the digital shift. She highlights the Oskar Barnack Award, which Leica sponsors, focusing on the human-environment relationship. The Milan space also hosts 'Mens Sana in Corpore Sano,' a solo exhibition by photographer Stefano Guindani, featuring images of sporty clergy, including a surfing priest and a skateboarding priest, inspired by nuns playing soccer in Leuca. Guindani's work, which includes a priest water-skiing and a nun footballer, reflects his long-standing fascination with religious figures in athletic poses. Leica's entry into the art fair circuit, such as Paris Photo, initially faced skepticism but is now welcomed by museums.