A new photography exhibition featuring three decades of candid black-and-white beach photographs will open at the Multicultural Center Templin (MKC) this Friday, August 22, at 7 PM. The show presents 42 works by photographer Jürgen Jabs, who has spent 30 years capturing unguarded moments of people along a 2.5-kilometer stretch of Baltic Sea coastline between Haffkrug and Scharbeutz.
Jabs, a 72-year-old Berlin resident with deep roots in the Uckermark region, has made it his mission to photograph people in their most authentic, unposed moments. "I want to photograph people on the beach in an unadulterated, non-arranged situation," explained Jabs, who believes this approach captures true authenticity. His collection spans from 1991 to 2021, representing a long-term artistic commitment to documenting human behavior in natural seaside settings.
The photographer's ethical approach to his craft sets him apart in an era of increasing privacy concerns. After taking photos, Jabs always approaches his subjects to obtain their consent retroactively. "When they refuse permission, the photos are deleted in front of their eyes. That's very easy to do today," he said, noting that he maintained this practice even during his analog film days when the process was more cumbersome.
Jabs' path to photography began through his professional career rather than artistic ambition. After graduating from high school in Prenzlau in 1973 with top honors, he initially hoped to study sports journalism, having been a passionate table tennis player who helped his Templin team reach the East German league during the DDR era. However, his plans changed, and he instead studied geology at the University of Greifswald.
It was his geology career that ultimately led him to photography, as documenting findings and investigations became part of his professional responsibilities. Working as a self-taught photographer, Jabs gradually developed his skills, eventually mastering the entire process from shooting to developing films and prints. His work also took him on international assignments, further expanding his photographic experience.
The current exhibition came about through a chance encounter four years ago, when Jabs displayed an exhibition of Uckermark panoramas at the Dominican Monastery in Prenzlau. There he met Gerald Narr, curator of the Multicultural Center Templin, and their casual conversation about potentially showing his work at the MKC has now materialized into this concrete exhibition. On Tuesday, Jabs worked alongside Narr to select and hang the photographs that will comprise the show.
Jabs will be personally present at Friday's opening ceremony, where visitors can view this unique collection that captures three decades of human moments along the Lübeck Bay near Scharbeutz. The exhibition represents not just artistic achievement, but also a testament to the photographer's patient dedication to documenting authentic human experiences in their natural seaside environment.
