At Leica’s headquarters in Wetzlar, this year’s Celebration of Photography marked a defining moment in visual storytelling. The event not only commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Leica I, the camera that revolutionised photography in 1925, but also honoured the winners of the 45th Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA) — Venezuelan photographer Alejandro Cegarra and Moldovan newcomer Serghei Duve.
Cegarra’s series The Two Walls captures the plight of migrants at the Mexico–US border, shedding light on humanity amid borders and broken systems. Duve’s Bright Memory explores identity, nostalgia, and belonging in Transnistria, a self-declared region still unrecognised internationally. Both works reflect Leica’s century-long philosophy — that photography should bear witness to the human condition.
Hosted under the banner 100 Years of Leica: Witness to a Century, the celebration brought together former winners, gallerists, and nominators to discuss photography’s enduring role in shaping cultural memory. The Ernst Leitz Museumis now showcasing the 2025 LOBA shortlist alongside the winning works until 11 January 2026, featuring 12 series tackling themes from war and migration to climate change and social resilience.
As Leica continues its global centennial events in cities such as New York, Shanghai, and Tokyo, this year’s LOBA stands as a timeless reminder — that in every frame lies a story that connects us all.