Tadeusz Rolke Fischmarkt (1978)
Gallery of the Association of Polish Art Photographers (ZPAF)
24 Św. Tomasza St., Kraków May 14 – June 14, 2026
Organized by: Krakow Photomonth and Krakow Film Festival
In the 1970s, the recently deceased master of Polish photography, Tadeusz Rolke, lived and worked in Hamburg. One of his favorite spots in this North German metropolis was the Sunday fish market on the Elbe River – the Altonaer Fischmarkt. This vibrant space, blending trade with social life, inspired his photographic series Fischmarkt. The project is now being revisited by Krakow Photomonth, in collaboration with the Krakow Film Festival, at the Gallery of the Association of Polish Art Photographers. These black-and-white, documentary-style frames showcase what Rolke’s work is perhaps most celebrated for – a deep fascination with human nature and individuality, a keen sense of humor, and an extraordinary gift for observation.
The exhibition ties into this year’s main theme of Krakow Photo Month, framed under the slogan “Unreal Estate” – a narrative exploring Polish-German relations and entanglements against the broader backdrop of Central Europe. Fun fact: this is not the first time Tadeusz Rolke’s series is being presented at the Krakow ZPAF gallery. Fischmarkt was previously hosted there back in 1979, although the gallery was located at a different address at the time!
Photographs from the archive of Tadeusz Rolke have been made available courtesy of Le Guern Gallery.