At first glance, the show seems eclectic almost to the point of disunity, but the works are loosely threaded together by the notion of curiosity. Some of Hungaski’s photographs are “curious�? in the sense of the peculiar or the strange, perhaps most notably, the meticulously framed image of a quaint Parisian storefront that happens to display scores of elaborately coiffed, severed mannequins’ heads.

Most of the photographs in the show are outdoor scenes. All were taken without the use of a flash, including an impressively executed long exposure shot of a wall of human bones at the claustrophobic catacombs in Paris and slightly ominous, hovering picture of boys fishing at the edge of a placid river.

Yet many of Hungaski’s images are curious in the sense of wonder and interest rather than oddity. These images explore a photographer’s capacity to inspire, share and record curiosity in his subjects. One of the most striking images in the show, “Curious Woman,�? captures the figure of an anonymous woman from behind as she leans into a tall shrub. Her head is obscured between the branches, and the image practically dares the viewer not to share in her inquisitiveness. Something unknown, which only she can see, has prompted a conservatively dressed, middle-aged woman nearly to disappear into an enormous hedge.

Hungaski explained his international experience: “I traveled in Europe, and did shows there.�? He took a substantial number of the photographs in the Exposure show while in Paris, and also met his son’s mother there. When she moved to Argentina, he discovered a new culture and a new set of images.

A novel twist on his sense of conspiratorial interest is dramatically conveyed by one of these. Hungaski directed his attention to a deeply mysterious photographer who wields his own camera. The image archly raises questions about where (and on what) the Argentine has trained his tremendous, old-fashioned lens, and at the same time leaves us wondering whether all Argentinian photographers dress like members of the Italian mafia. These pictures are indeed curious.

Hungaski, who remembers early experiences taking pictures  in his hometown of Stamford, has been taking photographs since his childhood, over 30 years ago. Despite his penchant for travel, he still resides in Connecticut, today in Milford, and is a familiar figure in the New Haven arts community. As he mingled among the guests, he chatted with old friends from the New Haven Photo Arts Collective. Hungaski was gracious and attentive, if slightly unnerved by the role of host.

The Curious Photographs of Andrew Hungaski will remain open to the public, at the Exposure Gallery, 1 Whitney Ave., free of charge, until Jan. 30.