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 spring. In this guide, we’ll take a look at 8 unmissable photography exhibitions in London that are happening now or right around the corner:
- Bert Hardy: Photojournalism in War and Peace
- World Press Photo Exhibition 2024
- Edward Burtynsky: New Works
- Diana Matar: My America
- Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2024
- Energy: Sparks from the Collection
- Street Life
- Nick Waplington: Living Room
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.
1. Bert Hardy: Photojournalism in War and Peace
- Dates: 23 February - 02 June 2024
- Price: Free to attend
- Location: The Photographers' Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies St, London W1F 7LW
- Learn More: You can learn more about the exhibition and plan your visit at https://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/whats-on/bert-hardy-photojournalism-war-and-peace
Produced in collaboration with Dr Tom Allbeson (Senior Lecturer in Media History, Cardiff University), this exhibition explores works from Bert Hardy's illustrious photography career alongside a rich selection of materials from his personal archive.
Born into a working class London family in 1913, Bert Hardy was self taught and worked as a combat photographer and later a photojournalist for Britain's leading photo magazine 'Picture Post'. The exhibition highlights decades of powerful images from the Blitz in London and war in Southeast Asia to his social documentary work in mid-century Britain and travels across post-war Europe.
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2. World Press Photo Exhibition 2024
- Dates: 03 May - 27 May 2024
- Price: Advanced Tickets From £5.00
- Location: Borough Yards, London, SE1 9AD
- Learn More: Discover more at https://theexhibitionists.co.uk
The 67th World Press Photo Exhibition makes its highly anticipated return to London after seven years. The annual photojournalism exhibition tours over 60 cities and highlights the year's most impactful visual stories and narrative storytelling.
The contest had an impressive 61,062 entries from 3,581 photographers across the globe. The regional winners will be revealed on 3rd April 2024 and then the global winners on 18th April before the exhibition opens its doors on 3rd May.
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3. Edward Burtynsky: New Works
- Dates: 28 February - 06 April 2024
- Price: Free to attend
- Location: Flowers Gallery, 21 Cork Street, London, W1S 3LZ
- Learn More: You can learn more about the exhibition and plan your visit at https://www.flowersgallery.com/exhibitions/580-edward-burtynsky-new-works/
Presented by Flowers Gallery, this solo exhibition of Edward Burtynsky's recent works focuses on three geological themes: Coast Mountains in British Columbia, Canada; erosion in Türkiye; and the coal mines in Australia.
His aerial shots capture the grandeur and awe-inspiring beauty of nature while also revealing the profound impact of global warming and industrial processes on the terrain. The exhibition reflects Burtynsky's lifelong observation of humanity's interaction with the natural world and its consequences.
4. Diana Matar: My America
- Dates: 07 March - 13 April 2024
- Price: Free to attend
- Location: Purdy Hicks Gallery, 25 Thurloe St, South Kensington, London SW7 2LQ
- Learn More: You can find more information and purchase your tickets at https://www.purdyhicks.com/exhibitions/130-diana-matar-my-america/works/
Each year the United States has the highest number of deaths from police encounters of any industrialised nation, and Diana Matar's exhibition My America is an archive and memorial of these victims. The photographs were taken at locations where citizens were shot or tasered by police officers, creating a quiet but chilling critique of the present-day United States.
It took Matar nearly eight years to complete the project. She started with her initial research of each person who died in 2015 and 2016, then created detailed maps, made six road trips across the US, and finally spent two years researching the legal outcome of each case.
5. Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2024
- Dates: 23 February - 02 June 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 the event at https://thephotographersgallery.org.uk/whats-on/deutsche-borse-photography-foundation-prize-2024
This influential annual prize was established by The Photographers’ Gallery in 1996, identifying and rewarding artists and their projects considered to have made the most significant contribution to photography over the previous year. 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of Deutsche Börse’s partnership with The Photographers’ Gallery.
The exhibition features photographs from all shortlisted artists: VALIE EXPORT, Gauri Gill & Rajesh Vangad, Lebohang Kganye and Hrair Sarkissian. Their work shows the power of photography to explore, investigate and interrogate our world. The winner of the £30,000 prize will be announced on 16 May 2024.
6. Energy: Sparks from the Collection
- Dates: Now until 18 May 2025
- Price: Free to attend
- Location: Galleries 100-101, 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". 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. This display will explore the ways that light and energy are memorialised within a still image.
7. Street Life
- Dates: 01 March - 18 May 2024
- Price: Free to attend
- Location: David Hill Gallery, 345 Ladbroke Grove, London, W10 6HA
- Learn More: You can learn more about this exhibit and book tickets at https://davidhillgallery.net/artists/street-life-group-exhibition?utm_campaign=website&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sendgrid.com
Curated by Framelines and David Hill Gallery, this is a collaborative group exhibition highlighting fascinating works of street and documentary photography. The exhibition covers an exciting cross-section of imagery from 18 different photographers, some award-winning artists and others being shown for the first time.
8. Nick Waplington: Living Room
- Dates: 14 March - 25 May 2024
- Price: Free to attend
- Location: Hamiltons Gallery, 13 Carlos Pl, London W1K 2EU
- Learn More: You can learn more about this exhibit and book tickets at https://www.hamiltonsgallery.com/exhibitions/155/works/
This exhibition presents the work of British-American photographer and artist, Nick Waplington, celebrating his iconic series Living Room with previously unseen image variants and new works.
The original book was an instant sensation. Published in 1991, it documented the lives of friends, families, and neighbours on the Broxtowe housing estate in Nottingham, England. The new exhibition follows the same sequencing of landscape and portrait images but replaces the originals with as-yet-unseen work from the archives, often from the same roll of film as the original image.
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.
But what do you do when you’re ready to put your skills to the test? Who do you turn to for photoshoot locations? Tutti makes it easy for artists to find the right spaces for their work by connecting them directly with space owners to streamline the search and rental process. If you’ve been looking up, “photography studio London” to no avail, start here with Tutti!
Hire locations for your next photoshoot with Tutti
Choose from 1000+ spaces and locations on Tutti and deal directly with space hosts for a quick, hassle-free booking process.
