20.06.2008 to 16.11.2008
For the first time in Germany a large exhibition is being dedicated to the paparazzi - the "bad boys" of the photographic medium. Paparazzi photography is an aggressive variant of photo journalism, more so today than ever before, as celebrities from the world of show business are hounded and embroiled in dangerous situations, just so that the paparazzi can get at the most interesting pictures as possible.
During the "classic" era of the paparazzi - the 1960s and 1970s - the acts of lying in waiting and showing oneself in public (which constitute a blend of voyeurism and exhibitionism) did not strike quite as strident a tone as they do today. The combination of inventiveness, speed, or tenacity and a pinch of downright cheek sufficed as a surefire way of getting a good picture. The current exhibition with around 350 photographs from Erich Salomon, Jean Pigozzi, Helmut Newton and others primarily focuses on both celebrity portraits from this time and, in keeping with the paparazzi's underlying motive, the demythologization of the stars in everyday life.
