“It may sound naive, but I think that for all its failings, the world of art and culture is still the only one where something like that can be done. The media can’t do it anymore; they’ve become a vulgar business like any other. The world of culture – museums and universities – is the last place where you are still free to dream of a better world.” – Alfredo Jaar, Conversations in Chile, 2005

Podbielski Contemporary is dedicated to contemporary photography as a medium of observation, memory, and emotional resonance in its various declinations. We represent artists whose practices explore the visible and the invisible, revealing the intimate relationship between people, places, and time through a deeply personal visual language.

At the heart of its program is a commitment to projects that are expressed through the poem of the soul* — works that transform everyday landscapes, unknown territories, domestic interiors, overlooked spaces and hidden identity into sites of reflection and discovery. Whether rooted in Italy or extending beyond its borders, these photographic narratives celebrate the quiet beauty of less known sites, the traces of human presence, and the stories embedded within them.
Rather than documenting reality alone, the gallery embraces photography as an artistic act of contemplation: a way of preserving fragile memories, revealing unseen connections, and inviting slower, more attentive Ways of Seeing, as expressed by John Berger. Podbielski Contemporary represents artists who share a profound sensitivity toward the world, fostering a dialogue between contemporary visual culture and the emotional landscapes that shape our collective experience.

Through exhibitions, publications, and collaborations, the gallery promotes photography that is both profoundly human and intellectually engaging. Our intention is to allow the power of the image to connect us with ourselves, with others, and overall with the places we inhabit.

*tribute to Walt Whitman

In the course of its fifteen-year existence, it has achieved world recognition among collectors, colleagues and institutions.

Pierre André Podbielski established his gallery in January 2011 in Berlin Mitte. The opening show “Moving Worlds” featured Yael Bartana, Adrian Paci, Paola Yacoub, Lidwien van de Ven and Danica Dakic and was introduced with an essay by Griselda Pollock.

In 2018, Podbielski Contemporary moved its venue back to Milan, Pierre André’s hometown. He strongly believes that a gallery, besides representing artists and promoting their works in an optimal way, should also serve as a hub for the exchange of ideas about art and culture, particularly for young scholars and collectors.

Recently, in its new venue it has launched promising new talents, featured in various group shows such as Pleasure Garden, Ore Sospese, Un diario italiano, Oltre lo Sguardo and Rumore.

The gallery attends qualified art fairs such as The Hours in Turin, Photo Basel, MIA Photo Fair, Artefiera Bologna, Unseen, The Phair, Art Genève, Art Verona, Artissima, Enter Art Fair, Miart, Photo London and Paris Photo.