Moscow and Chernobyl in Baden, Austria

This year’s outdoor photo Festival La Gacilly-Baden in Baden, Austria is on!

The Festival, which takes place each summer, draws thousands to Baden, Austria—where the pandemic is rapidly subsiding—to enjoy breathtaking photography exhibits displayed outdoors among the gardens, buildings and beautiful landscape. Festival La Gacilly was originally created in 2004 by Jacques Rocher as an annual festival to celebrate photography exploring humanity and the environment in La Gacilly, France. As the result of a collaboration between Rocher and Austrian publisher and photographer Lois Lammerhuber, the first annual Festival La Gacilly-Baden took place in 2018.

Last year’s Festival drew more than a quarter of a million visitors.

The above photo of actress Anastasia Vertinskaya is featured in the exhibit, “Moscow: Winds of Change.” While most photographs will be around 3 ft (1m) tall/wide, this image will measure 13x22 ft (4mx7m)!

This year’s Festival is dedicated to photography in and of Eastern Europe. Ludwig’s projects, “The Long Shadow of Chernobyl” and “Moscow: Winds of Change” will be displayed as separate, large-scale exhibits, featuring more than 60 total images from Gerd’s decades of chronicling the subjects.

Inside the “belly of the beast,” destroyed Chernobyl Reactor No. 4.

Festival La Gacilly-Baden will run from July 14 to October 26. Entry is free and open to the public (social distancing rules apply). A special open-air, celebratory weekend is scheduled for August 13-16. More information can be found here.