Set A

Anyone even slightly familiar with Tadeusz Rolke’s body of work can easily point to at least one of his photographs that they consider iconic. Some may ask whether we are talking about reportage, fashion, art and artists, or perhaps We Were Here or Fischmarkt? Rolke took his first photographs in 1944, capturing his immediate surroundings. Since then, he has been observing and preserving precious moments—photography, for him, is information to be shared with others. Still active today, when asked how he is doing, he replies: "Look at the photos I’ve taken recently. I’m working on a new essay."

The letter “A” denotes an archival category for materials of historical significance, as well as those related to art. The exhibition presents a collection of analog prints that Tadeusz Rolke developed himself in the 1980s and 1990s. These photographs showcase a rich array of places and events, spanning several decades of his artistic career. For years, Rolke has exhibited his work in Poland and abroad, and every few years, a new album is published. Certain images have become deeply embedded in the consciousness of photography enthusiasts—those frequently published have come to be recognized as his most characteristic works. Among them are Blanka in Brodnica with a Lambretta scooter, a couple kissing in front of a patisserie, a fashion session for Elle in Paris, and scenes from the Fischmarkt in Hamburg. We present these on the exhibition, but we want more. 

Tadeusz Rolke’s extensive body of work allows for new discoveries—among the well-known themes, places, reports, and sessions, we have included frames that are rarely, if ever, shown. We present Rolke’s photographic idée fixe, his sensitivity to people, atmosphere, anecdote, and composition. He is driven by curiosity, quick to react, and constantly photographing. He often remarks: "(...) a photograph has just passed me by. I think about reality so often. Is this some kind of obsession?" A roll of photographic film has a limited number of frames, yet Rolke captures more than one compelling moment within it. That’s why the exhibition does not follow a set order. We step into the photographer’s world, unbound by chronology or theme. Tadeusz Rolke exists in many places and times—always at home when he holds a camera in his hands.