The jump. Taking off into another dimension. Weightless between heaven and earth. Black jumping boots on a fine white sandy beach.
The Leap. Taking off into another dimension. Weightless between heaven and earth. Black combat boots on a fine white sandy beach. This iconic photo symbolizes a place of longing for freedom.
Three summers on Hiddensee. From 1987 to 1989, photographer Peter Brune worked as a waiter on the island. He met like-minded people who washed dishes, sewed clothes, made music, or did nothing at all. Fascinated by the lifestyle of these nonconformist young dropouts, Brune photographed—as if in a trance—unique, intimate snapshots that tell stories of individuality, rebellion, and friendship.
His unmistakable visual language makes Brune one of the great documentary and portrait photographers of our time. The high-contrast black-and-white photographs from the ’80s capture the spirit of an entire generation. With radical intimacy and directness, Brune creates powerful images that are immediate and moving. His work is a universal document of its time.
The rediscovery of Peter Brune’s early body of work during the filming of Annekatrin Hendel’s feature film “Hiddensee” (premiering in September 2026), his circle of friends came up with the idea of collectively curating a tribute that interprets the unpublished “Hiddensee” series from a contemporary viewpoint and through diverse perspectives.
Peter Brune has lived and worked in Tokyo for 25 years. In addition to numerous exhibitions in Berlin, Paris, and Tokyo, his photographs have been published in the *taz*, the *Berliner Zeitung*, *Marie Claire Japon*, *Magazine House*, and *Elle Japon*. He has worked on film productions for ORB and the BBC, as well as on theater productions at the Volksbühne (Berlin), La Citerne (Paris), and the Theatre Cocoon (Tokyo).
