Karl-Ludwig Lange. The Photographer in His Time. Berlin Years 1973–2004

Political Circumstances

Karl-Ludwig Lange

This exhibition, which presents works from three decades, shows the broad range of Karl-Ludwig Lange’s work. The photo series of children’s graves in Alt-Reinickendorf (2004) and garages of East German secret police members in Köpenick (1993) are linked by a dualistic idea of uniformity and individuality. Photo by photo, grave by grave, the work bears witness to lives that were extinguished at a very young age. The tableau of photographs of the garages of people whose job it was to prevent others from achieving individuality is particularly powerful.
The third sequence, made in 1978, depicts pedestrians in East and West, including situations on Schönhauser Allee – Lange’s only photo series made in East Berlin. The exhibition shows Lange’s sense of the darker side of things; he gave it the laconic title Political Circumstances.

Over the course of five decades, Karl-Ludwig Lange independently created an artistic body of work. Visitors are advised to see all exhibitions of the ten-part project The Photographer in His Time to fully understand his world of imagery.