Carlos Leal
Visibility and Humanity

Exhibition:
January 15 to February 28, 2026

Opening & Artist Talk:
Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 18.30h
Introduction and Talk by Melody Gygax, picture editor, curator and
former representative of MAGNUM PHOTOS Switzerland

Finissage:
Saturday, February 28, 2026, 13-17h

Opening hours:
Wednesday to Friday 17-19h
Saturday 13-17h
or by appointment


Visibility and Humanity
Carlos Leal focuses his attention on marginalized social groups and presents their reality with a particular sensitivity for lighting and composition. His photographs are characterized by a high degree of dignity, restraint, and social relevance.
In the series «Heroes of Another Story» Carlos Leal portrays people on the margins of glamorous Los Angeles, including homeless people, outcasts, and those who remain invisible in everyday urban life. Leal regards these individuals as important protagonists outside the cinematic fantasy world of Hollywood and attaches great importance to a respectful and empathetic approach. He documents moments of dignity and inner strength in a reduced visual language that seems less like classic documentary style and more like visual poetry. The photographs are free of voyeuristic elements and thus display remarkable professionalism.
Complementing this series are works from «We Own the Night» in which nocturnal urban scenes are poetically staged. In these works, abandoned places take on a new, mysterious aesthetic and reveal their quiet beauty in the dark. Carlos Leal's photographs encourage critical engagement with social reality and the conditions of one's own perception.

Carlos Leal, born in Lausanne in 1969, is a musician, actor, and photographer. He became known as the frontman of Sens Unik and later appeared in international film productions. Since 2020, he has devoted himself intensively to photography and exhibits internationally.