Cuba and its capital Havana have always attracted image seekers. But few photographers have succeeded in capturing the sound of the Cuban capital as masterfully and sensitively as Johannes Barthelmes. The musician and photographer first visited the Caribbean island in the early 1990s. Since then, he has repeatedly returned there for longer stays. He spent a lot of time in Havana and immersed himself deeply in the life and rhythm of the city. With his camera as his companion. His photographs tell of the people, of life on the streets, of serenity and melancholy, of nuances. Johannes Barthelmes is a vigilant flâneur and a master of the moment. Off the cuff – impromptu – and with great sensitivity, he captures small, precious everyday scenes that come together in his pictures as if by chance to form seemingly perfect compositions.

Johannes Barthelmes, born in Speyer in 1953, studied classical and jazz saxophone at the University of Music in Graz. In 1980, he moved to Berlin and joined the jazz scene there. His first bands were formed. His first albums were released. Acclaimed by critics, he soon became one of the most renowned jazz saxophonists in Europe. At the end of the 1990s, there was a turning point in his biography. Health reasons forced Johannes Barthelmes to interrupt his career as a musician. In the years that followed