KAI-UWE GUNDLACH shows Hamburg in a new light – the Hinz & Kunzt 2025 calendar ‘The Invisibles’
The new Hinz & Kunzt 2025 calendar, photographed by Kai-Uwe Gundlach, presents Hamburg in a completely different way. Known for his unique take on the city, Gundlach reimagines familiar scenes from entirely unexplored perspectives.
One of the most striking black-and-white photographs shows a staircase leading up to Rathausmarkt, the plaza in front of Hamburg’s City Hall – an image which reminds Gundlach of a film by Fritz Lang, the renowned German director from the late 1920s and early 1930s. “It almost feels like a scene from a Fritz Lang film,” the photographer describes, referring to an image where monumental buildings are photographed through a prism with multiple exposures, distorting the view of the oversized structures. At the top of the staircase stands a tiny figure, nearly invisible against the towering backdrop and the dark, foreboding sky.
This image reflects what the photographer aims to convey with the calendar: “In a big city, there’s always the background noise of the many people you see every day, but you don’t really look at them, you don’t truly notice them.” This simple yet profound observation is a recurring theme throughout the calendar.
The title 'The Invisibles' describes the essence of Kai-Uwe Gundlach’s project. He aims to draw our attention to those we often overlook – such as the homeless, whom we may not even be aware of in our everyday lives. The iconic landmarks of Hamburg, such as Schanze, Reeperbahn, and the Elbphilharmonie, are not portrayed as typical postcard images but rather distorted through the lens of street photography. The focus is on the people and the loneliness they experience as they are swept through the urban landscape.
Gundlach spent six weeks walking through Hamburg, initially shooting with a large camera, then almost exclusively with his smartphone. “The smartphone almost made me ‘invisible,’ too. As a street photographer, you have to react quickly,” he explains.
Around 7,000 images were created in total, the best of which are compiled in this calendar. There is also an added digital feature: scanning QR codes on the calendar pages opens short videos in which Hinz & Kunzt vendors share stories from their lives. These personal anecdotes reveal the people behind the images and reinforce Kai-Uwe Gundlach’s message: “They appreciate every human gesture of kindness.”
Text: Jochen Harberg
Concept/Idea: Kai-Uwe Gundlach
Creative Director: Falk Poetz
Layout and Videos: MUTABOR
GoSee : studiogundlach.de
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