Best photography exhibitions to see in London in 2024
London is currently hosting several photography exhibitions that reflect an appreciation for the art form. From the return of the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery after a three-year hiatus, to a retrospective of Daido Moriyama's work and an opportunity to explore the photography collection of Sir Elton John and David Furnish, here's our guide to the best present and upcoming photography exhibitions in London.
Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In
Polka Dots #5, Providence, Rhode Island, 1976 by Francesca Woodman, Gelatin silver print, courtesy Woodman Family Foundation © Woodman Family Foundation / DACS, London
#FLODown: Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron: Portraits to Dream In will celebrate the visionary contributions of these two influential women in the history of photography. With over 160 rare vintage prints on display, the showcase spans the careers of both artists, offering viewers new perspectives on their innovative approaches to portraiture while also reflecting on the evolution of photographic portraiture in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Date: 21 March 2024 – 16 June 2024. Location: National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE. Price: £8.50 / £9.50 with donation. Book now.
Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize
First Prize, Diena by Alexandre Silberman From the series NATURE. © Alexandre Silberman.
#FLODown:The 2023 Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize is back on display at the National Portrait Gallery until February 2024, returning after a three-year break. This annual exhibition features a collection of images from young photographers, amateurs, and professionals. Showcasing both traditional and contemporary approaches to the photographic portrait, the selected images, many exhibited for the first time, capture various characters, moods, and locations. The 2023 first prize went to Alexandre Silberman
Date: 9 November 2023 - 25 February 2024. Location: National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin's Pl, London WC2H 0HE. Price: from £8.50. Book now.
Keith Arnatt: Eden 69–89
Keith Arnatt, Walking the Dog, 1976-77. Vintage silver gelatine print, artist’s print.
#FLODown: Sprüth Magers currently features an exhibition dedicated to Keith Arnatt's works, titled Eden 69–89. The show explores Arnatt's creative journey from 1969 to 1989, combining photographs around his Welsh border home with physical interventions and humour that reflect the conceptual interests of the late ’60s and early ’70s. The exhibition includes colour and black-and-white photographic works that provide insight into Arnatt's artistic development during this period.
Date: 22 November - 3 February 2024. Location: Sprüth Magers, Grafton St, London, 7a Grafton Street, W1S 4EJ. Price: Free.
Yannis Davy Guibinga: Children of Distant Suns
Melting Daylight I, Yannis Davy Guibinga.
#FLODOwn: Doyle Wham presents Yannis Davy Guibinga's inaugural UK solo photography exhibition, Children of Distant Suns. Known for reimagining African narratives, Guibinga explores folklore, mythologies, and Christian themes in series like OLOKUN, Daughter of the Lake, Melting Daylight, and Tangled Sins. Through his work, Guibinga creates an imaginary realm, Shira Island, showcasing the universal resonance of myths across different cultures and locations.
Date: 18 January – 23 Mach 2024. Location: Doyle Wham, 91A Rivington St, London EC2A 3AY. Price: Free. Website: doylewham.com.
Capturing the Moment
Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California, 1936 printed c.1950 © Tate (Jai Monaghan).
#FLODown: This exhibition explores the transformative impact of photography on painting, revealing the dynamic relationship between the two mediums. Iconic works from artists such as Pablo Picasso, Paula Rego, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Jeff Wall are on display, showcasing how these mediums have been utilised by some of the greatest painters and photographers of the modern era to capture moments in time.
Date: 13 June 2023 – 28 April 2024. Location: Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG. Price: £20. Book now.
Daido Moriyama: A Retrospective
Kanagawa, 1967.From A Hunter. © Daido Moriyama Photo Foundation.
#FLODown: Daido Moriyama: A Retrospective explores the diverse career of the acclaimed photographer. From early magazine works to exploring photorealism and a self-reflective phase in the 1980s and 1990s, the exhibition captures Moriyama's essence in over 200 works, installations, rare photobooks, and magazines.
Date: 6 October 2023 - 11 February 2024. Location: The Photographers' Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies St, London W1F 7LW. Price:from £6.50. Concessions available. Book now.
Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection
Simply Fragile, 2022 by Tyler Mitchell © Tyler Mitchell. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
#FLODown: The V&A will showcase over 300 rare prints from 140 photographers, borrowed from Sir Elton John and David Furnish's private collection. The exhibition explores modern and contemporary photography, featuring works by artists like Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman, William Eggleston, and Diane Arbus. Commemorating 30 years of collecting, it highlights portraits of icons and significant historical moments, including the Civil Rights movement, AIDS activism, and 9/11.
Date: 18 May 2024 – 5 January 2025. Location: V&A Museum, Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL. Website: vam.ac.uk.
BURTYNSKY: Extraction/Abstraction
Ed Burtynsky Copyright: © Edward Burtynsky.
#FLODown: The Saatchi Gallery will open an exhibition of Edward Burtynsky's work titled BURTYNSKY: Extraction/Abstraction in February 2024. Curated by Marc Mayer, this showcase will feature Burtynsky's largest collection to date, comprising 94 large-format photos, 13 murals, and augmented reality. The exhibition explores humanity's impact on Earth and includes the multimedia experience In the Wake of Progress, encouraging reflection on sustainability and highlights organisations dedicated to it.
Date: 14 February – 6 May 2024. Location: Saatchi Gallery. £10 Website: saatchigallery.com.
Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence
Unity Hall, KNUST, Kumasi by John Owuso Addo and Miro Marasović - film still from Tropical Modernism_ Architecture and Independence, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.jpegUnity Hall, KNUST, Kumasi by John Owuso Addo and Miro Marasović.
#FLODown: Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence delves into the post-World War II architectural style in West Africa and India by Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew. Known for embracing minimalism and addressing tropical challenges, Tropical Modernism initially used to countered independence calls, later became a symbol of progress in newly independent nations. The exhibition explores this transformative period, revealing how art and architecture expressed newfound freedoms and shaped identities separate from colonial pasts.
Date: 2 March 2024 – 22 September 2024. Location: V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL. Website: vam.ac.uk.
Soulscapes
Mónica de Miranda, Sun rise (detail), 2023, inkjet print on cotton paper. Courtesy of the artist and Sabrina Amrani Gallery, Madrid.
#FLODown: Soulscapes at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, though not exclusively a photography exhibition, prominently includes a substantial amount of photography. The exhibition seeks to redefine landscape art through contemporary perspectives, featuring over 30 works encompassing painting, photography, film, and collage. Exploring themes of belonging, memory, joy, and transformation, artists from the African Diaspora provide insights into their relationship with the natural world.
Date: 14 February – 2 June 2024. Location: Dulwich Picture Gallery. Website: dulwichpicturegallery.co.uk.
