As a photographer, you view life through your own personal lens. Perfecting your work and discovering your style as you explore life through your camera is crucial to reaching your full potential and becoming the professional photographer you want to be. However, taking the time to explore the work of others will allow you to see different perspectives and styles that you might wish to employ or emulate yourself. But where do you go to explore said work?
Attending a photography exhibition in London is an excellent way to broaden your horizons and discover new work. There are plenty of photography exhibitions in London to explore this summer. In this guide, we’ll take a look at 8 unmissable photography exhibitions in London that are happening now or right around the corner:
- Beyond Fashion
- Meditations on Love
- Ernest Cole: A Lens in Exile
- Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection
- Energy: Sparks from the Collection
- Graciela Iturbide: Shadowlines
- Terence Donovan: Full Frame, Photographs & Paintings
- Storyteller: Photography by Tim Hetherington
If you’re ready to explore new themes, lives, and experiences, let’s take a closer look at the stunning photography exhibitions in London listed above.
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1. Beyond Fashion
- Dates: 31 May - 08 September 2024
- Price: Tickets from £6. Members go free.
- Location: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York's HQ, King's Rd, London SW3 4RY
- Learn More: You can learn more about the exhibition and plan your visit at https://www.saatchigallery.com/exhibition/beyond-fashion
This exhibition showcases the work of acclaimed fashion photographers from around the world, showing how fashion photography has evolved over time and continued to push the boundaries of creativity.
Travelling "from the glossy setting of the photography studio to the grassroots of street photography" viewers are encouraged to explore the rich and diverse world of fashion through photography.
The exhibition will include more than 100 iconic images by the likes of Viviane Sassen, Paolo Roversi, and Ellen von Unwerth, and will feature photographs of celebrities like Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, and Christian Dior.
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2. Meditations on Love
- Dates: 14 June - 22 September 2024
- Price: Advance Booking Online: £6.50 / £4 Concession. On the door: £8 / £5 Concession. Members go free.
- Location: The Photographers' Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies St, London W1F 7LW
- Learn More: You can find more information and purchase your tickets at https://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/whats-on/meditations-love
Curated by the Develop Collective, this exhibition explores how love is represented, preserved and remembered through an archive of photo-books, novels and nonfiction works.
Exploring stories of resilience, community, identity and queerness, Meditations on Love presents the work of photographers, writers and artists to investigate "love’s complex and varying iterations".
3. Ernest Cole: A Lens in Exile
- Dates: 13 June - 12 October 2024
- Price: Free to attend
- Location: Autograph Gallery, Rivington Place, London EC2A 3BA, UK
- Learn More: You can learn more about this exhibit and book tickets at https://autograph.org.uk/exhibitions/ernest-cole-a-lens-in-exile
This exhibition presents the work of South African photographer, Ernest Cole, documenting New York City during the height of the American civil rights movement.
Renowned for his powerful photographs capturing the brutality of apartheid, Cole left South Africa in 1966 and became stateless two years later.
In an attempt to escape the daily realities of racism, Cole moved to New York City and dedicated his initial years to photographing Harlem and Manhattan, emphasising the human aspects of racially segregated America.
4. Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection
- Dates: 18 May - ?? 2024
- Price: £20
- Location: V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL
- Learn More: You can learn more about the exhibition and plan your visit at https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/fragile-beauty-photographs-from-the-sir-elton-john-and-david-furnish-collection
Spanning from the 1950s to today, this exhibition will display photographs from Elton John and David Furnish's private collection, curated by Duncan Forbes, the V&A's head of photography, Newell Harbin, director of The Sir Elton John Photography Collection, and Lydia Caston, the V&A's exhibition project curator.
Featuring portraits of jazz musicians Miles Davis and Chet Baker, and actress Marilyn Monroe, more than 300 prints from over 140 photographers will be showcased to the public, making up the V&A's largest temporary photography exhibition to date. Images will be curated into eight themes, including fashion, reportage, celebrity, and the male body.
6. Energy: Sparks from the Collection
- Dates: Now until 18 May 2025
- Price: Free to attend
- Location: V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
- Learn More: You can learn more about the exhibit and book your tickets at https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/energy-sparks-from-the-collection
From hidden technologies to photographic subjects, this exhibition draws attention to "the diverse kinds of energy in photography".
In this way, Energy: Sparks from the Collection will explore the ways that light and energy are memorialised within a still image. Whether it's sunlight passing through a lens, the flash of an artificial lightbulb, or the travelling glow of long-exposure city lights, every photograph needs some kind of energy to bring itself to life.
7. Graciela Iturbide: Shadowlines
- Dates: 14 June - 22 September 2024
- Price: Advance Booking Online: £6.50 / £4 Concession. On the door: £8 / £5 Concession. Members go free.
- Location: The Photographers' Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies St, London W1F 7LW
- Learn More: You can learn more about this exhibit and book tickets at https://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/whats-on/graciela-iturbide-shadowlines
Shadowlines presents the work of Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide, who explores themes of Mexican culture through a humanist, documentarian approach. Much of her work investigates the lives of indigenous Mexicans, offering insights into their rituals and traditions.
Curated by Alexis Fabry in collaboration with Anna Dannemann, this exhibition will include works from a number of her past series, including Juchitán de la Mujeres (1979-1989), which looks at the matriarchal society of the Zapotec people of Tehuantepec.
8. Terence Donovan: Full Frame, Photographs & Paintings
- Dates: 23 May - 07 September 2024
- Price: Free to attend
- Location: Atlas Gallery, 49 Dorset St, London W1U 7NF
- Learn More: You can learn more about the event at https://www.atlasgallery.com/exhibition/terence-donovan
This exhibition pays homage of Terrence Donovan, who was an English photographer and film director, most well known for his fashion photography of the 1960s.
Terence Donovan: Full Frame, Photographs & Paintings will showcase some of his most iconic photographs across his 40-year long career, featuring the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Twiggy, and Sophia Loren. Rare signed vintage prints will be on display and available to collectors.
9. Storyteller: Photography by Tim Hetherington
- Dates: 20 April - 29 September 2024
- Price: Free to attend
- Location: Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Rd, London SE1 6HZ
- Learn More: You can learn more about the event at https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/storyteller-photography-by-tim-hetherington
In celebration of the acclaimed photojournalist and humanitarian, Tim Hetherington, this exhibition marks the 13th anniversary of his death while filming and photographing the Libyan Civil War (2011).
Tim Hetherington broke convention during his career by dedicating long periods of time on the frontline, engaging deeply with his subjects and their lives. This allowed him to build trust with the soldiers he photographed, and allowed him to capture the nuances of war, particularly the interpersonal relationships between comrades and their day-to-day experiences of tension, fear, and vulnerability.
Wrapping up
No matter what type of photographer you want to become, visiting photography exhibitions is an outstanding way to discover new styles, learn how to improve your own art, and find inspiration. And with new collections popping up all over the city every month, there's no shortage of exciting works to discover.
Weekdays are generally quieter for most exhibitions, but you can book timeslots in advance online for all of them to guarantee admission. Why not make a day of it with a friend and visit a few in succession, stopping by at some local independent pubs to discuss your thoughts on each exhibition. All in the name of research, of course.
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Choose from 1000+ spaces and locations on Tutti and deal directly with space hosts for a quick, hassle-free booking process.
