Helga Paris - Häuser und Gesichter Halle 1983–85

In the mid-1980s, Helga Paris created a sensitive portrait of the city of Halle (Saale) with the series "Häuser und Gesichter" (Houses and Faces) in over 100 impressive photographs. An exhibition planned for 1986 fell victim to GDR politics: the pictures showed the architectural decay and morbid charm of the city on the Saale too clearly.

40 years later, the Kunstmuseum Moritzburg Halle (Saale) is once again presenting this classic of photographic history, which became known as the "Diva in Gray" after a text by the poet Detlef Opitz.

In the early 1980s, photographer Arno Fischer (1927-2011) suggested photographing the GDR in the social-documentary tradition of US photography of the 1930s. "I'll take Halle" - was the spontaneous reaction of Helga Paris, whose daughter Jenny Paris was doing an apprenticeship in the city.

The factories of the GDR's largest industrial location had cast a hazy gray veil over the city, and many of the old buildings were in a disastrous state. In Paris' pictures, atmospheric architectural photographs merge with portraits full of character to create a poetic, documentary portrayal of the city.

As always, you can find further information and details of events on our website: www.kunstmuseum-moritzburg.de/

and in the event calendar: www.kunstmuseum-moritzburg.de/veranstaltungen/