Rock photography in Flingern

Punk and rock chronicler Richard Bellia shows photos from four decades

A very special exhibition is coming to the Weltkunstzimmer - arranged by Michael Wenzel, guide of our tour "The Sound of Düsseldorf". Rocking Photography" by Richard Bellia can be seen in Flingern until April 10. The photographer is a chronicler of pop music, he photographed the greats - including The Cure, Depeche Mode, Nirvana and David Bowie, but also dazzling players of different, musical eras such as punk (including Joe Strummer, Ramones, The Cramps, L7, Henry Rollins or Joy Division) or hip hop (including Wu Tang Clan, ODB, LL Cool J, Eric B. and Rakim). We spoke with curator Andrew Uhlemann about the exhibition, Bellia's photos and the accompanying program. 

Andrew, why should we look at the exhibition in the World Art Room?  

I think Richard Bellia has a very special view of the artists he photographs. Over the decades, he always stays in close contact with the subject, waits for the right moment and then snaps. He extracts the magic from the moments and puts them on photographic paper.  

Which artists and bands did Richard Bellia photograph? 

His roots are certainly in punk and new wave, where he photographed heroes like The Clash, The Cramps or The Cure. He then quickly broadened his spectrum and also ventured into the very big pop stars like David Bowie, James Brown, Morrisey, Paul Weller or Madonna.In his 800-page, fabulous illustrated book "Un oeil sur la musique," more than 1,000 photos are collected - directly from the photo pit, but also backstage or in the street scene.  

Was Bellia herself also part of the scene?  

Bellia came to Paris in the 1980s and spontaneously bought a camera for a The Cure concert. His career aspirations were clear, but in the excitement of the first concert he had not inserted the film properly, at the end of the evening there was no decent photo. In order to do better in the future, he continued to take photos and listened to a lot of music to get in the mood for the right motifs. 

What makes Bellia's photos so distinctive?  

Band and press photos can be incredibly boring. But Bellia's photos really make my heart beat faster, because he shows special moments that have rough edges and are therefore fascinating. And that's almost an exception in this smooth Instafilter and Photoshop world that we're surrounded by every day.  

How come the pictures are now on display in Düsseldorf?  

The Düsseldorf music journalist Michael Wenzel, who also does the wonderful guided tour "The Sound of Düsseldorf", is "to blame". He had received the tip about Richard Bellia from an acquaintance and forwarded the exhibition idea to the Weltkunstzimmer.And there they were spontaneously enthusiastic about realizing a photo exhibition with Bellia. 

How do you use the showroom in Flingern?  

There is an entrance area and two large, high rooms with white walls. This fits perfectly with the black and white photography, because that's how the large formats worked.There is also a flyer that recommends visitors via QR code two playlists: A list with all exhibited artists and a top 10, for the quick music walk. So please bring your own headphones for listening!  

There are some concerts taking place. How does that fit in with the exhibition?  

There is a really great supporting program to the exhibition.On Saturday, March 19, for example, Richard Bellia will hold a photo workshop with students from the HS Düsseldorf. This will be followed by a concert evening with Françoiz Breut and Florence Besch. On Thursday, March 31, 7 p.m., Richard Bellia himself will give a slide show about his work, with musical accompaniment by his Parisian friend Jean Zundel. And to do justice to the rock part of his work, on Friday, April 8, 8 p.m., there will be a spectacular rock trio with show interludes of a special kind, the Danish Powersolo.  

What is your favorite photo?  

I can't tell you how many times I've flipped back and forth through Bellia's book, at least more often than any other rock photo book I have in my closet! But I regularly get stuck on a photo of the recently deceased Genesis Beyer P. Orridge of Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV.Actually a classic portrait, but showing the transformation towards what he called a "pandrogynous" gender identity.  

More information about the exhibition can be found in our calendar of events .

Cover: David Bowie, Prague, February 1996, Richard Bellia
Gallery 1: © duesseldorf.design