In the mid-1960s, Walter Schels, as a young man, came to New York, where he lived for several years and to which he returned again and again. He was immediately fascinated by the lights and facades of the city and the views that were offered to him there. This resulted in atmospheric, almost abstract images that are as complex and unique as New York itself.

For this exhibition, Walter Schels has unearthed treasures in his archive, gone into the darkroom to enlarge some negatives for the first time ever, and made a selection of rare vintage prints - most of them unique.

"I still look at the world through the camera’s rectangular viewfinder. New York back then was inexhaustible in its colors. The steam seeping out of manhole covers, the fire escapes, the steel glittering in the sunlight, the shoddy facades, the sunny days in Central Park—without a camera, all of this would have passed me by." Walter Schels