William Klein – Belgium, Unseen Photographs
Starting from September 6th, 2025 at Gallery FIFTY ONE and FIFTY ONE TOO, an exceptional double exhibition pays tribute to William Klein, an iconic figure in contemporary photography. Through a previously unseen series created in Belgium and a selection of emblematic works, this retrospective celebrates the artist’s boldness and unique vision. 28 Vignon Street serves as its digital counterpart, offering an online immersion into this major event and a new way to explore Klein’s universe.
“The last time I worked on a book with William Klein was in 2020.
He was still here then — sharp, funny, demanding, generous.
I didn’t know he would leave us two years later.
But I was lucky. I had the rare privilege of seeing new images, of publishing previously unseen work with him. For a gallerist or a curator, there is nothing more thrilling than discovering photographs that have never been shown — each find is a heartbeat, a surprise, a conversation with the artist, even in his absence.
Today, thanks to the invaluable support of the William Klein Studio, this book has come to life. Together, we uncovered an unpublished series, taken in Belgium — a country close to William’s heart. His wife, Jeanne Klein, was Belgian; this land was familiar to him, even intimate.
Here, we see Klein at work: in the streets of Brussels, in traditional cafés, around the construction of the Atomium in the late 1950s. Already, everything is there — the powerful contrasts, the vibrant neon lights, the bold typography, that unmistakable way of framing the energy of the world.
I wish I could have made this book with him. He would have corrected me on the design details, on an image placed too early or too late. He would have laughed, maybe. He would have grumbled, certainly. And then, he would have chosen. He always knew how to choose.”
Excerpt written by Roger Szmulewicz, from the book Belgium, Unseen Photographs.
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