Prolific but little known in France, Luxembourg photographer Romain Urhausen stands out for his singular style extending between the French humanist school and the German subjective school of the 1950s and 1960s, to which he actively contributed. His tinged with humor photographs, often a pretext for formal and poetic exploration, go beyond a classic depiction of reality. The exhibition shows how Urhausen took an experimental approach to daily life, working men, the cityscape, the nude and the self-portrait. The subjective aesthetic he learned from Otto Steinert influenced his formal language, treatment of contrasts, framing and way of seeing the world differently. The show highlights this vision, setting up a dialogue between Urhausen’s photographs and those of his peers by creating new “elective affinities”.
Biography: Born in 1930 in Rumelange, Romain Urhausen passed away in 2021 in Luxembourg. He was recognised between 1950 and 1970 as one of the country’s most creative and inspiring photographers. Internationally well-known and exhibited, this polymorphous artist worked on a variety of subjects, from the daily life of his contemporaries to the evolution of the urban landscape.
Curated by Paul di Felice and Krystyna DUL
In addition to the exhibition, this cultural heritage is has been put together in a book dedicated to him, written by the Doctor of Arts Paul di Felice. The friend of the photographer has taken on the role of curator of this tribute, in collaboration with Krystyna Dul.
The association “Lët’z Arles”, which is placed under the High Patronage of H.R.H. the Grand Duchess and is subsidised by the Ministry of Culture, has been offering for the past six years a space for creation and distribution to photographers and artists linked to Luxembourg during the “Rencontres de la photographie d’Arles”.
The exhibition “Histoires Urbaines” is accessible free of charge during the opening hours of the station, from 4 am to 1 am.
More information on letzarles.lu
