Ssirus W. Pakzad: Face to Face, Soul to Soul

Exhibition opening: 30 June at 19.30, Small Gallery
Curator Žiga Koritnik in conversation with the photographer: 30 June at 20.00, First Foyer


After completing his studies, Ssirus W. Pakzad (1961) turned to music journalism and began publishing regularly in the German press and on radio. He began taking portrait photographs of his interviewees at the suggestion of colleagues; these images not only appeared in newspapers and magazines alongside the interviews but also featured on the album covers of numerous acclaimed musicians. In the late 1990s, he hosted a public radio show with live guests (Bayerischer Rundfunk, SWR) and served as artistic director of the Jazz an der Donau festival in Vilshofen from 1996–98. His photographs have been presented in eleven solo and four group exhibitions in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

The exhibited works reveal the photographer’s dedication and deep engagement with music, from his earliest pieces (the oldest, for example, is a portrait of Don Cherry, 1990) to concert photography over the years and a more recent series of silhouettes. These are primarily carefully considered, sometimes improvised compositions that capture the musician’s soul without slipping into glorification. While the portraits are calm and quiet, the concert photography is more dynamic and “louder,” acquiring even greater intensity when accompanied by the interviews.