The Circuit

Bruce Gilden has never taken a break from photography. Except once, in this miserable spring 2020 when the first Covid attack hit us prisoners. Stuck in upstate New York, without an assistant, with his Leica, his wife and a car, Bruce "locked in" was going crazy. At the end of May, after the George Floyd's death, history came to the rescue with the massive protests that broke out across New York City. Bruce went exploring, going back and forth to the war zone of Brooklyn and walking miles and miles down the street chasing gatherings. Until one particular day in early June at the Barclays Center, where the story of Bruce and the Bikers took off. Bruce found himself at the in the middle of a noisy and spectacular crowd of bikers, mostly blacks. He had just participated in a prayer for George Floyd called by the mysterious "Circuit," as New York's black biker community calls it his huge network and his many social activities. After that, Bruce had only one idea in mind: "Find the Bikers..." And that's how began a relationship that continues to this day. Determined to explore the real "biker life" of this unknown and often feared community, Bruce embarked on the social itinerary of the MC "circuit", photographing without releases, inside and outside New York, events where the Biker family reunites. By the end of the summer, the Bikers had a nickname for Bruce - they called him "Everywhere". Now that he's a regular at the circuit, with many friends within the community, this nickname has become "OG" (Old Guard) or simply "Bro". Born in Brooklyn, New York, Bruce Gilden is Best known for his street photography. He has published over twenty books. A member of the prestigious MAGNUM agency, he is a Guggenheim fellow and has won several awards, including the European Publishers Award for Photography.