To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Leica, Leica Gallery Madrid is proud to host the exhibition In Conversation: A Photographic Dialogue Between Ara Güler and Lys Arango. For a century, Leica cameras have captured some of the world’s most iconic images, many of which are now showcased across its international network of 29 galleries. These spaces act as hubs of visual culture, fostering critical reflection through the work of both established masters and contemporary voices.
To mark this milestone, Leica has launched a special initiative that brings together legendary Hall of Fame photographers with emerging talents. Each month in 2025, a Leica Gallery will open a new exhibition pairing two artists in visual dialogue. The resulting twelve shows will offer rich contrasts and resonances—photographic conversations that span generations, geographies, and perspectives.
This Madrid edition features the striking black-and-white work of Armenian-Turkish photojournalist Ara Güler, presented alongside the socially engaged documentary photography of Spanish artist Lys Arango. Through different aesthetic approaches and historical contexts, both explore themes of fragility, transformation, and resilience. Their work creates an anthropological archive of communities shaped by migration, crisis, and the uneasy march of modernity.
Curated by Matías Costa, the exhibition will run from 20 March to 17 May 2025.

About the Authors

Ara Güler (Istanbul, 1928–2018) is internationally renowned for his poetic documentation of Istanbul and its people. Widely known as “the Eye of Istanbul,” he created an enduring visual record of the city over six decades, capturing the texture of everyday life during periods of profound change. Born to an Armenian family, Güler studied economics before becoming a photojournalist. Though he worked for international outlets such as Time, Life, and Stern, and photographed icons like Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso, he remained deeply rooted in the streets of his home city. Güler once said, “People call me the photographer of Istanbul, but I’m a citizen of the world.” His humanistic eye and cinematic compositions have influenced generations of street photographers and earned him the Leica Hall of Fame Award in 2016.

Lys Arango (Madrid, 1988) is a photographer and writer whose work merges visual storytelling with in-depth research. Trained in International Relations and Journalism, she crafts long-form projects that weave together photography, sound, and narrative text. Between 2016 and 2019, she worked across 17 countries documenting severe food insecurity, collaborating with NGOs, the UN, and media outlets. Her current practice centers on humanitarian issues viewed through cultural and historical lenses. In 2023, Arango joined Agence VU’ and received a National Geographic Society grant for her project The River Ran Black, which investigates energy transition in Asturias and is featured in this exhibition. Her visual language aims to deepen understanding and promote social change. Arango’s growing recognition aligns with Leica’s recent expansion of the Leica Oscar Barnack Award to include the Leica Woman Project category—an initiative celebrating the essential contributions of women in photography.

More info:

https://leica-camera.com/
https://agencevu.com/
https://www.instagram.com/araguler