BERLIN.- This winter, Galerie Buchkunst Berlin invites visitors to rediscover the former East Germany through the vivid lens of one of the most celebrated photographers of our time. From November 27, 2025, to February 28, 2026, the gallery will present “DDR / East Germany – Colour Works,” the first major exhibition devoted entirely to Thomas Hoepker’s color photographs from the GDR. Spanning nearly two decades—from 1972 to 1990—the images reveal a world that is at once familiar, forgotten, and newly illuminated.

Although Hoepker is best known internationally for iconic images like his portraits of Muhammad Ali and his haunting photographs of New York on September 11, his work in East Germany remains one of the most personal chapters of his career. In 1974, he became the first West German photographer officially allowed to work inside the GDR, a privilege that gave him uncommon access to a society often concealed behind political narratives. Settling temporarily in East Berlin, he crisscrossed the country with his then-wife, journalist Eva Windmöller, documenting everyday life for stern magazine.

The resulting photographs—shot largely on Kodachrome film—offer an unusually empathetic and often humorous view of life under state socialism. Unlike the carefully curated images produced by the GDR’s own propaganda apparatus, which tightly controlled the use of color photography, Hoepker’s pictures show people as they were: waiting at bus stops, strolling through concrete plazas, laughing, working, or quietly coping with the monotony of the system. His color palette feels unmistakably his—warm, rich, and alive with subtle detail.

The exhibition brings together well-known images alongside previously unpublished works, offering a fresh look at Hoepker’s deep engagement with the country. Curator Thomas Gust will guide visitors through the opening night on November 27, followed by a conversation with filmmaker Christine Kruchen, Hoepker’s widow, who will reflect on his life, his curiosity, and the years he spent documenting a nation on the verge of change.

To accompany the exhibition, the gallery’s publishing arm is releasing a new book, “Thomas Hoepker – DDR / East Germany – Colour Works 1972–1990.” Featuring 145 photographs, many shown for the first time, the book provides the most comprehensive overview to date of Hoepker’s color work in East Germany. A limited special edition—housed in a linen presentation box and paired with an original print—will also be available.

Hoepker, who passed away in 2024 at the age of 88, is widely regarded as one of the most influential photographers of the late 20th century. A full member of Magnum since 1989 and its president from 2003 to 2007, he shaped the field with his unmistakably humanistic eye. Yet his images of the GDR stand apart for their extraordinary mix of curiosity, respect, and gentle irony. They reveal not only a vanished state, but a photographer deeply attentive to the stories of ordinary people.

With “DDR / East Germany – Colour Works,” Berlin now has the rare opportunity to see the GDR as Hoepker saw it—candid, colorful, and profoundly human.