In pictures: the W* photography desk’s 2017 digest of visual inspiration

Fresh sources
22 December

From today, The Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, Colorado, hosts its annual competition exhibition, featuring responses to the themes of ‘Water’ and ‘Portraits’. This year, photographers were encouraged to interpret and respond to the themes with carte blanche, and the selected entries are varied in subject and technique. This years jurors, Jennifer Murray of Filter Photo and Paul Martineau of the J Paul Getty Museum, considered over 3,000 entries prior to making their final selelctions. The competition culminates in a public reception, portfolio reviews, and a professional development seminar. Until 27 January.

Pictured: Untitled, from Three Sisters, Stephan Jahanshahi. © The artist

Writer: Lynsie Roberts

Celebrity skin
21 December

A new exhibition at Palm Beach’s Holden Luntz Gallery – ‘All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players’ – collates a selection of vintage photographs of musicians and celebrities. Featuring photographers Terry O’Neill, Clive Arrowsmith, Harry Benson, Gered Mankowitz, Bert Stern, Roy Schatt, Arthur Elgort, and Norman Seeff, it presents photography as a form of mythology, capturing the power of images to create icons and legends. The show aims to pinpoint defining pop culture moments, and cavalier insouciance abounds across snapshots of smoking film stars, rockstars between gigs, and masked beauties at balls. Until 20 January.

Pictured: Frank & Mia, Capote Ball, by Harry Benson, New York, 1966

Writer: Lynsie Roberts

Vintage Americana
20 December

In 1979, Magnum photojournalist David Hurn was awarded the ‘UK/USA Bicentennial Fellowship’ to pursue a personal photography project in America. He chose to spend a year in Arizona, documenting ‘ordinary people in ordinary pursuits’. The resulting collection of images has been published in a new book, Arizona Trips, by Reel Art Press. A keen observer, Hurn’s curiosity led him to capture rodeos, school dances, pageants, football games, patriotic marches, and sun-soaked road trips through the dry Arizona desert. The collection of black and white images is a nostalgic snapshot of America.

Pictured: Kenilworth Elementary school where the students get into the spirit of Halloween celebrations with the help of a dressed up teacher, by David Hurn, Phoenix, 1979. © The artist / Magnum Photos

Writer: Lynsie Roberts 

Liberated visions
19 December

Photographer Eliza Hatch creates a visual representation of sexual harassment by taking portraits of women in the environments in which they have been threatened. Her exhibition, ‘Cheer Up Luv (London to NYC)’, poignantly demonstrates victimised people reclaiming their power, and is now on view at the ICP Museum in New York as part of its ‘Projected’ series. Hatch’s show develops a platform for individuals to voice their experiences, thereby creating a sense of agency in a situation where theirs was once taken away. The young women confront the camera straight on; Hatch has given them the opportunity to reclaim their narrative, which is thoroughly empowering. Until 25 December.

Pictured: Broek, NY, by Eliza Hatch, 2017, New York. © The artist

Writer: Lynsie Roberts

Family album
December 18

In 1974, Nicholas Nixon took a portrait of his wife and her three sisters with his 8x10 large format camera. Nixon continued to do an annual portrait of the sisters for 40 years, and the collection of images is currently being featured in his new exhibition ‘Persistence of Vision’ at the Institute of Contemporary Art Boston. The annual photoshoot of the Brown sisters captures the passing of time, with a focus on family relationships and the subtleties of aging. The show also includes his other large format documentary photography. Until 22 April 2018.

Pictured: The Brown Sisters, New Canaan, Connecticut, by Nicholas Nixon, 1975. Courtesy the artist and Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco. © Nicholas Nixon

Writer: Lynsie Roberts

Fresh eyes
15 December

Opening today, Photostart showcases emerging talent from the Australian Centre for Photography. The exhibition is collated from a wide range of student work, including portraits, landscapes, and still lifes. This year, the showcase will culminate in the inaugural Wentworth Selborne Award for a single outstanding, technically adventurous photograph. The winning entry will receive a cash prize of $2,000. In addition to the exhibition, there will be talks, portfolio reviews, and workshops. Until 3 February 2018.

Pictured: Untitled, by Alexis Roitman, 2017. © The artist

Writer: Lynsie Roberts

Home of the brave
14 December

‘Heroic Times’ presents a selection of iconic imagery from the archives of Steve Schapiro at Howard Greenberg Gallery. Through his 60-year career, 83 year old Schapiro has captured key moments of American history and pop culture, with commissions to capture portraits of celebrities, politicians, and artists. The display features his documentation of Robert F Kennedy’s presidential campaign, the civil rights movement, and Andy Warhol’s Factory days, among other important milestones of the 1960s and 1970s. Until 27 January 2018.

Pictured, Nico in Times Square, by Steve Schapiro, 1972. © The artist

Writer: Lynsie Roberts

Secret city
12 December

Eddo Hartmann has traveled to North Korea four times since 2014 to gain intimate access to the closed city of Pyongyang. He takes people’s portraits in contrast to the city’s sleek architecture and enlarged monuments, in order to capture the individual experience amid Pyongyang's highly crafted, political persona. ‘Setting the Stage: Pyongyang, North Korea, Part 2’ is currently on view at Huis Marseille Museum for Photography in Amsterdam, and includes photographs, film, and several 360-degree videos from Hartmann’s trip, to create an immersive experience for the viewer. Until 4 March.

Pictured: Brilliant Star Rocket, Three Revolutions Exhibition, Pyongyang, by Eddo Hartmann, 2017

Writer: Lynsie Roberts 

Table talk
11 December

Daniel Blaufuks photography exhibition ‘Attempting Exhaustion’ opened last weekend at the Jean-Kenta Gauthier gallery in Paris. The show explores themes of time and memory in a series of images that study the artist’s kitchen table from 2009 through to 2016. Blaufuks was inspired by the French writer Georges Perec, who would document his thoughts on the banality of daily life in Paris while sitting at his local café, observing ‘that which is generally not taken note of, that which is not noticed, that which has no importance […]’. The artist documents his personal space with various photography techniques, including large prints, Polaroids, and slides. Until 10 March 2018.

Pictured: ‘12 de Mai de 2016 2:55’ [12 May 2016, 2.55], by Daniel Blaufuks, 2016. © The artist

Writer: Lynsie Roberts

Get your skates on
8 December

‘Silver. Skate. Seventies’ – a collection of never-before-seen Hugh Holland prints currently on view at M+B Photo – depict California’s skateboard revolution of the 70s, which ‘spread like wildfire all over Southern California.’ The collection captures the poise and strength of boarders carving up in the drainage and ditches along the Laurel Canyon Boulevard. In monochrome, we catch a glimpse of the early artistic flair which helped to define his later colour practice. Until 31 January 2018.

Pictured: Go For It, Viper Bowl, Hollywood, CA, by Hugh Holland, 1976. © The artist

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Break the ice
7 December

As the wintry weather continues in France, Marseille based photographer James Reeve’s exhibition at VV, Les Voûtes is a fitting one. The barren grounds of Canada’s northwest terrain are the subject of ‘Fractures’ and ‘Diavik’. The latter explores Canada’s most ethical diamond mine – Reeve is the first artist who has gained access. Both series possess rich and exceptional detail, while remaining geographically ambiguous. They could be images of the arctic, or another planet entirely. Until 17 December.

Pictured: from the series Diavik, by James Reeve. @ The artist

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Opportunity knocks
6 December

One month remains for photographers around the world to enter the 11th edition of the Sony Photography Awards. A medley of new entries has been released by the World Photography Organisation, in anticipation of the deadline. The pre-released batch provides a sneak peak into the high quality of entries in the open competition for the best single image, with striking aerial landscapes, intimate portraits, wildlife shots and stolen moments – like this one caught at a kite competition on Marseille beach in France.

Pictured: K Means kite, by Krzysztof Ćwik. © the artist. Poland, Open entry, Street Photography (Open competition). Courtesy of 2018 Sony World Photography Awards

Writer: Samantha Thompson

History repeats
5 December

To honor the 70th anniversary of Magnum photos, four of the agency’s current photographers have responded to an inspiring narrative from Magnum’s archives, supported by Olympus. Asked to consider a work or artist that had influenced their own practice, Olivia Arthur references the ‘Children of Europe’ project shot by Magnum founder David Seymour in the years after the Second World War. Meanwhile, Thomas Dworzak and journalist Julius Strauss retrace the steps of Robert Capa through Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia in A Russian Journal. Highlights include the work of Moises Saman and Marco Bischof, who follow the footsteps of Werner Bischof as he documented life in the Peruvian mountains, where he also tragically died in a road accident in 1954. Until 9 December at Art Bermondsey Project Space.

Pictured: Sierra de La Libertad, Peru, by Moises Samen, September 17, 2017. © the artist and Magnum Photos

Writer: Samantha Thompson

For africa
4 December

The 11th edition of the African Biennale of Photography launched over the weekend in Bamako, Mali. Curator Maria-Ann Yemsi has fashioned a programme focussed on freedom, expression and creativity. ‘Afrotopia’ takes a progressive stance in supporting up and coming talent, and pools together traditional photography in parallel to contemporary formats and new media, showcasing installations videos and digital arts. Until 31 January 2018.

Pictured: Moraigny, Madagascar, France, by Christian Sanna, 2014-2016. © the artist

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Drawing board
1 December

Iranian-American artist Raha Raissnia grew up in Tehran during the 1978-79 revolution, and she often accompanied her father, an amateur photographer, on trips to the city center to document mass protests against the shah. Mirroring this early experience in her current work, Raissnia continues to take photographs of stolen moments. ‘Alluvius’ – The Drawing Centre in New York’s solo exhibition of the artist – features two series of abstract charcoal drawings, inspired by Raissnia’s archival photography and found imagery. Until 4 February.

Pictured: Fountain by Raha Raissnia, 2017. Courtesy of the artist and Miguel Abreu Gallery, New York

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Monumental imagery
30 November

Throughout December, Marco Walker is showing a new body of work ‘Utopia/Dystopia’ in a private home in the heart of Mayfair. Opened yesterday, the exhibition explores the photographer’s recent journey through isolated territories of former Yugoslavia including Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo and Croatia, uncovering a series of gargantuan, concrete monuments commissioned by the late President Tito. Employing analogue film techniques alongside traditional printing processes, the photographs cast a window back in time at these statues. Until 20 December.

Pictured: N45° 34’, E14° 14’, by Marco Walker, 2016. © The artist

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Go platinum
29 November

This year saw the 70th anniversary of Camera Press. In honor of the platinum celebration, photographic artist, curator and co-owner Emma Blau has created a film, delving into the history of some of Camera Press’ extraordinary photographers. We also witness the narratives behind some of the agency's most iconic images, including insights into the work of Tom Blau, Yousuf Karsh, John Swannell, Clive Arrowsmith, Jillian Edelstein, Chris Floyd and curator Terence Pepper, among others.

Pictured: Christine Keeler pictured in a secret screen test for the movie 'The Christine Keeler Story’, by Tom Blau, 1963. © The artist / Camera Press

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Mother nature
28 November

‘As I grew older, there was no use competing with her, so I assumed my position, quite happily, on the other side of the camera,’ said Sage Sohier, ahead of her solo exhibition at New York’s Foley Gallery, opening tomorrow. ‘Witness to Beauty’ is a compelling chronicle spanning Sohier’s 25-year relationship with her sister, Laine, and her mother, Wendy Morgan. The exhibition explores notions of beauty, particularly in respect to Morgan who previously graced the cover of several magazines and was photographed by Richard Avedon, Irving Penn and more. Until 7 January 2018.

Pictured: Mum and I in bathrobes, Washington, D.C, 2000, by Sage Sohier. © The artist

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Dark arts
27 November

This weekend saw the opening of ‘Koža’, a new show by photographer and writer Deanna Pizzitelli at Stephen Bugler Gallery in Toronto. Employing a myriad of analogue approaches to photography, Pizzitelli questions the versatility of historical processes, evoking lost times and places in her poignant landscapes. With bleak, isolated backdrops setting the scene, a narrative of the artist’s own wanderlust unfolds across the small images, weaving together tales of desire, eroticism, longing and loss. Until 13 January 2018.

Pictured: Deanna Tub II, 2015, by Deanna Pizzitelli. © The artist. Courtesy of Stephen Bulger Gallery

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Spaced out
24 November

Monica Alcazar-Duarte is at the vanguard of emerging photographers. Today, The Photographers’ Gallery in London is launching her first publication, The New Colonists. As this year’s winner of the gallery’s Bar-Tur Photobook Award, she has worked alongside the gallery and Bemojake to publish the project. The three part tome begins in the American suburban town of Mars, Pennsylvania, interspersed with images of the science community who are attempting to make space colonisation a reality. Onwards and upwards!

Pictured: Astronaut extreme environment training from The New Colonists, 2017, by Monica Alcazar-Duarte. © The artist. Courtesy of The Photographers’ Gallery

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Second life
23 November

Norwegian artist Edvard Munch is celebrated the world over for his paintings, prints and watercolours, but a new retrospective opening this week is set to reveal a lesser known side of his oeuvre: photography. Scandinavia House in New York is showing 50 images from the Munch Museum in Oslo, alongside films and an assortment of prints from private collections. Adopting an experimental approach, Munch questioned and exploited photography’s potential, using distortion, blurred motion and eccentric camera angles. Until 5 March.

Pictured: Ludvig Ravensberg in Åsgårdstrand, by Edvard Munch. Courtesy of Munch Museum

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Flash back
22 November

In December 1975, Dutch photographer Bertien van Manen captured daily life in metropolitan Hungary, capturing a country on the brink of development. Published by MACK, I will be Wolf draws together her black and white photographs, combining conceptual rigor with poetic ambiguity. A nostalgic throwback to a bygone era, the book includes unseen snapshots of commuters, grocers, chemists and street vendor, with editorial direction from notable photographer Stephen Gill.

Pictured: I will be Wolf, by Bertien van Manen, 2017. Courtesy of the artist and MACK.

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Shore to Shore
21 November

The American photographer Stephen Shore soared to fame in the 1970s by highlighting the hidden spectacle of the everyday. New York’s Museum of Modern Art is holding a comprehensive retrospective of his career, all the way back to its formative moments (and including works produced at the age of 14, which were acquired by the hugely influential photographer and curator Edward Steichen). The exhibition tracks the prolific thematic divergences of Shore’s output, drawing on hundreds of photographic works and pivoting from the gelatin silver prints he made as a teenager to his current digital practice surveying Israel and Ukraine. Until 28 May 2018.

Pictured: Graig Nettles, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, March 1, 1978, by Stephen Shore, 1978. © the artist

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Facing the music
20 November

British photographer Brian Griffin, a landmark practitioner of the 1970s and 80s, has released a new photobook with GOST. POP documents his thriving career as a music photographer; composed of photographs from album covers, single sleeves, posters and press, the book's 350 pages shed light on the juxtaposition of Griffin’s technical naivety and major visual intention. Tomorrow evening, Griffin takes centre stage at the London College of Communication for an all-inclusive dialogue with Terry Rawlings, offering an exclusive insight into a pioneering era in music and visual history.

Pictured: Elvis Costello and The Attractions, ‘Armed Forces/Taking Liberties’, by Brian Griffin, 1978. © the artist

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Space out
17 November

The worlds of photography and sculptural practice are meeting head on in the site-specific installation ‘Not the Actual Site’, by Dutch photographic artist Marleen Sleeuwit at LhGWR in The Hague this weekend. Playing with the changes of surface patinas in a room, original images, edited works, reconstructions and 3D works are brought together to create a new whole. Until 20 January 2018.

Pictured: Interior No.51, by Marleen Sleeuwits. Courtesy of LhGWR

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Golden age
16 November

Today, Tristan Hoare’s London gallery opens a celebration of African studio photography. Dating back to 1950s – the heyday of the medium – ‘Studio Africa’ represents a time of sovereignty, youth and energetic optimism. The exhibition draws on seven photographers from the epoch, including the late Jean Depara, who was dedicated to capturing life after dark in Kinshasa city. Until 20 December.

Pictured: La Belle Americaine, by Jean Depara, 1965. Courtesy of Tristan Hoare Gallery and Magnin-A

Face time
15 November

Marking the 10th anniversary of National Portrait Gallery’s prestigious Taylor Wessing photographic Portrait Prize, this year saw 5,717 submissions entered by 2,423 photographers from 66 countries. In the midst of all this, three photographs were shortlisted in an anonymous judging. Along with work by Abbie Trayler-Smith and Maija Tammi, Cesar Dezfuli's photograph Amadou Sumalia shined, from a series documenting the plight of migrants fleeing from conflict, discrimination and poverty. The showcase of finalists opens tomorrow at London’s National Portrait Gallery and continues until 4 February.

Pictured: Amadou Sumaila, by César Dezfuli, 2017. © The artist

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Cool customer
14 November

Today marks the opening of multimedia exhibition ‘Light’, a new body of work by eminent photographer Michel Comte at the MAXXI Museum in Rome. A keen climber and aviator, Comte has been traversing and capturing glacial landscapes for the past 30 years, observing the impact of environmental decline, and confronting the traditions of conventional landscape photography. As well as being enchanting landscapes, his photographs are known to prompt vast political dialogue. The showcase will be on view until 10 December alongside Black light – a large-scale installation to be unveiled on 28 November at the Triennale di Milano, on view until 6 January.

Pictured: Heli Lake, from the series ‘Light’ by Michel Comte, 2017

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Positive impact
13 October

London’s Fitzrovia Chapel welcomes a compelling celebration of London Middlesex Hospital's Broderip and Charles Bell AIDS wards. ‘The Ward’ records the lives of those suffering with HIV in 1993, an era before the availability of antiretroviral medications and a time when the disease was considered a death sentence. Through Gideon Mendel’s black and white photographs, we discern the considerable bravery of the patients confronted with the frightening prospect of a painful, untimely death. The chapel is opening its doors each Sunday and Wednesday in November, in the lead up to World AIDS Day on 1 December. The exhibition is being held in conjunction with publication of The Ward by Trolley Books. Until 3 December.

Pictured: The Ward. Courtesy Gideon Mendel and Trolley Books.

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Grand Tour
10 October

In the heart of Paris every angle of the photography medium is set to collide at the imperial Grand Palais. The 21st edition of Paris Photo, the eminent global art fair devoted to photography, has yet again fashioned an illustrious roster of events. The fair features 151 carefully selected galleries from 29 countries which are exhibiting an array of artistic diverseness, accompanied by talks, book signings, photobook awards, films, videos and a carte blanche for up-and-coming artists. The fair-goer plays spectator to a myriad of works from across the preceding decades, setting sights on the art form of photography that is endlessly reinventing itself. With Karl Lagerfeld as this year’s guest of honour, this is a Paris Photo not to be missed. Until 12 November.

Pictured: Untitled by Tod Papageorge, New York. © the artist. Courtesy Galerie Thomas Zander

Stroke of genius
9 November

Musical innovator Prince, whose creative voice continues to unravel posthumously with a new album, is centre stage of Proud Galleries’ latest showcase, opening today. Picturing Prince charts the flourishing alliance between the artist, his art director and official photographer Steve Parke. Documenting Prince’s dazzling charm, Parke leads the way to understanding the star’s rousing image. With Paisley park setting the scene, we unearth a glimpse of a life once largely mysterious, mapping out the drive behind his triumph and ambition. Parke’s highly praised photobook will coincide with the intimate showcase. Until 3 December.

Pictured: Caught a Plane to Spain, by Steve Parke. © the artist. Courtesy of Proud Galleries

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Northern soul
8 November

The North of England harbours a unique slice of British identity, landscaped by industrial architecture (and stereotypically bolshy temperaments), it has proven to be a bountiful breeding ground for style and creative vision for decades. As seen earlier this year at Liverpool’s Open Eye Gallery and now at London's Somerset House, 'North: Fashioning Identity' aims to explore the Northern truths depicted through the eye of those native to the area and those who are not. Curators Lou Stoppard and Adam Murray have explored the many avenues of representation and themes that are frequently rehashed in both design and media, which question our cultural understanding of its reality. The Somerset House show also houses thus far unseen visual assets such as Eric Jacquier’s charming double-portrait of a woman and boy in Leeds in 1969 (pictured). Unpicked through film, fashion and photography dating from the 30’s to the present day, the exhibition explores the multifaceted and fascinating North – let’s hope you’re as mad fer it as we are!

Writer: Rosanna Bruce

Guest of honour
7 November

The International Center of Photography – the worlds leading organisation dedicated to photography and visual ethos – today hosts the Spotlights Awards Luncheon in New York. The seventh installment honours this year's Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario. Known for calling attention to thorny concerns and brutal conflicts, her courageous take on world events is evidenced through her winning portfolio. The benefit lunch will host an on-stage dialogue between Addario and journalist Katie Couric.

Photography: © Lynsey Addario. Writer: Samantha Thompson

Go west
6 October

Earlier this year, Sam Contis released Deep Springs – her first publication with MACK Books – in which she surveys the isolation of a sheltered valley east of California's Sierra Nevada mountain range. Centred on an all-male arts college founded by the pioneering early 20th-century educator LL Nunn, Contis has pooled together a selection of new photographs alongside some taken a century ago, by the college’s first students.

Pictured: Deep Springs, by Sam Contis, 2017. Courtesy of the artist and MACK

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Life's work
3 November

To honor Swiss photographer René Groebli’s 90th birthday, Zurich’s Bildhalle Gallery is presenting a comprehensive solo exhibition of the artist's vast and diverse oeuvre. Hailed as a leading character in Switzerland’s photographic narrative, Groebli's career is here traced through a smattering of his oft-forgotten portfolios – like ones he captured in Ireland and New York – alongside well-known series like ‘The Eye of Love’, created during Groebli’s honeymoon with his wife Rita in France. Until 2 December.

Pictured: The Eye of Love, Lying Nude (No. 532), Paris, by René Groebli, 1952. Courtesy of the artist

Lease of life
2 November

New York-based photographer Kenro Izu’s prevailing work on India is on view at the city’s Howard Greenberg Gallery until 9 December. Focused on the ethos and spirituality of India’s traditions, 'Eternal light' brings into beguiling focus the experiences of joy and suffering related to death and the afterlife. Sacred cities Varanasi and Allahabad supply the backdrop to the portraits and landscapes, which outwardly translate earthy concerns. In tune with the emotions of his subjects, Izu says, 'It’s as though the Hindu gods have suggested that I think about the question, "Where are people heading, in this life and after?"'.

Pictured: Eternal Light 62 #9 Allahabad, India, by Kenro Izu, 2013. Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Caught in the act
1 November

London based photographer Polly Brown and Swiss graphic and type designer Philippe Karrer have allied their creativity to construct a new book in which unassuming commercial and public galleries provide the sets. Available from Spheres Publication, Performances documents a series of interventions that the duo staged in London galleries throughout the summer. Each photograph is presented alongside a text composed of sentences from the featured galleries’ press releases, in a tongue-in-cheek version of the ‘cut-up’ technique, originally established by William S. Burroughs.

Pictured: Sitting, Durational performance (Variation on position), by Polly Brown and Philippe Karrer, at Hauser & Wirth, London, 2017

Writer: Samantha Thompson

London calling
31 October

There is new addition to London's festival circuit, Pic.London, opening today for one week only. Established by artists Rakesh Mohindra and Yuxin Jiang, the show aims to display the work of artists at different stages of their careers, while making audiences think twice about how they appreciate the art form. The festival provides a platform for both well-known and establishing photographers, set across different city locations in installations, discussions and markets. Rising talent Jorge Luis Dieguez is amongst the exhibitors with his series Stability and Constructivity that reinterprets the photograph as a solid 3D structure. Until 5 November.

Pictured: Stability and Constructivity by Jorge Luis Dieguez, 2016. Courtesy the artist.

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Gavel talk
30 October

The 38th annual fundraiser for San Francisco Camerawork took place this weekend. The famed photography auction was populated by collectors on a national scale, who gathered to raise money for the institution’s events programme, which focuses on nurturing rising talent. The not-for-profit organisation is well known for vetting tomorrow’s up and coming art stars alongside classic jewels, which this year’s auction reflected. A selection of 90 photographs, including work from Walker Evans, Danny Lyon and Janette Beckman, presented a medley of cutting-edge technique and vintage prints.

Pictured: Run DMC, Hollis Queens, by Janette Beckman

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Park life
27 October

This weekend sees the opening of ‘On the heights’ – an exhibition of new work at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Earlier this year, four artists (Miriam Austin, Sam Belinfante, Tom Lovelace and Frances Scott) were invited to spend two weeks at the park, in exchange for a creative response to its rugged landscape. The resulting works, on display in the atmospheric Bothy Gallery and en plein air, survey the character and narratives of the surrounding valley, along with the local history of YSP. Tom Lovelace’s work prompts us to question what anecdotes and high tales can be believed about the park, through photographic assemblage, sculpture and a new performance that takes visitors on an ‘alternative tour’ of the Estate. Until 3 December.

Pictured: Bouy, by Tom Lovelace, 2017. Courtesy of the artist and Art Licks

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Social protest
26 October

To mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jr, New York’s Steve Kasher Gallery is hosting a major showing of Jill Freedman’s series ‘Resurrection City, 1968’. Over 70 rare black and white prints rawly recount what life was like inside a camp built on the Washington Mall by activists protesting the asassination of the civil rights leader. In the words of Freedman, ‘I had to see what was happening, to record it and be a part of it, I felt so bad’. The work has never before been seen in a gallery setting. Until 22 December.

Pictured: Policeman with Baton Facing Demonstrators, Poor Peoples Campaign, Washington, D.C, by Jill Freedman, 1968. Courtesy of Steven Kasher Gallery, New York

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Finders keepers
25 October

Today sees the opening of Masters of Photography, at London’s Beetles + Huxley Gallery, showcasing a rare collection of photographs by leading practitioners. With a strong emphasis on the rarity and quality of the print, we witness a program of 30 masterpieces, picked for the imporant role they played in the development of photography. Highlights include Gustave le Grey’s vintage prints made in 1656, Irving Penn’s celebrated ‘Cigarette’ series (pictured) and an enchanting portrait of triplets by Diane Arbus. Until 18 November.

Pictured: Cigarettes #34, New York, by Irving Penn, 1974. Courtesy of Beetles + Huxley

Writer: Samantha Thompson

In vogue
24 October

Photographer, writer and lecturer Eugénie Shinkle has collated 180 of what she deems to be the most pivotal fashion photographs in a new book published by Thames & Hudson. Fashion Photography: The Story in 180 Pictures charts how fashion photography flourished through the rise of illustrated magazines, how influential art directors collaborated with photographers to shape epochs of style, and how generations of fashion photographers have built upon one another's success. An art object in itself, this weighty tome provides an all-inclusive, visual record of 150-years worth of unforgettable fashion frames.

Pictured: Viviane Sassen, In Bloom (1), from Dazed & Confused, 2011. © The artist

A cut above
23 October

Aid organisation St Mungo’s works to rebuild the lives of those sleeping rough or otherwise facing homelessness. In collaboration with Cuts, a well-known Soho barbershop, British photographer William Selden has focused his camera on the charity’s work, volunteering to take portraits of homeless people having their hair cut. It's a show of solidarity that’s also ‘fun and heartwarming’, explains Selden.

Pictured: Iain, by William Selden. © St Mungo's Portraits 2017

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Behind the screen
20 October 

‘You couldn’t help feeling that you had stolen this image-object from the world. You had transferred a piece of the past into the present,’ says Wim Wenders on the magic of polaroid photography, ahead of his ‘Instant Stories’ exhibition, on display from today at The Photographers’ Gallery in collaboration with Wim Wenders Foundation and C|O Berlin Foundation. Serving as a visual diary, the show offers a singular insight into the Oscar-nominated filmmaker’s life, pivoting between the early 1970s and mid 80s. Taking us on a lyrical journey, we catch a glimpse of his way of thinking, with tribute to his artistic inspirations, Fassbinder and Warhol. Until 11 February. 

Pictured: Dennis Hopper, by Wim Wenders, 1976. © The artist. Courtesy of Deutsches Filminstitut Frankfurt AM

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Curve appeal
19 October

Tomorrow, London’s Webber Gallery is launching an exhibition of Mel Bles’ series Islands – a sophisticated study of femininity. Toying with the contours of the human body, Bles paints lines on her nude models. She positions the female body as independent, complex and powerful through the use of traditional photographic tropes – shadows, mirrors, nudity and still life. Until 25 November.

Pictured: Untitled, 2017, by Mel Bles, from the series Islands

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Waiting game
18 October

As London braces itself for Brexit, ‘independence’ seems an apt theme for the five-day Bloomsbury Festival, which opens today. The topical subject is explored through photographs at the atmospheric Crypt Gallery on Euston Road. ‘In the waiting room’ sees Maria-Edmée di Samuy and Irene Barontini curate a 13-strong series of images from both seasoned and fledgling practitioners, each exploring ways of striving for independence – or redefining the concept altogether. Among the exhibitors is Leon Chew with his series, ‘The India League’. Until 22 October.

Pictured: KVKM, the missing sculptures of Krishna Menon, 2015, by Leon Chew, from ‘The India League’. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: Samantha Thompson

On to a winner
13 October

The annual William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize has brings together Australia’s finest photographers. With the largest number of entries to date, this year’s illustrious judging panel (including Susan Fereday) has narrowed it down to 59 exceptional images. According to Fereday, selection was tough: ‘There were enough strong photographs to fill several shows.’ Gender diversity, LGBTQI rights, repatriation of indigenous remains, biodiversity in first nations and drone photography are some of the powerful thematic concerns explored by shortlisted finalists, on view from tomorrow, at the Montash Gallery ART in Melbourne. On 19 October the judges will convene to deliberate a first prize-winner from the vast display of exemplary photographic prints. On view until 26 November.

Pictured: Untitled II (from the family archives), by Janelle Low, 2017. Courtesy of the artist, This Is No Fantasy, and Dianne Tanzer Gallery

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Past master
12 October

Sunday marks the opening of ‘Untouched’ by the late Guy Bourdin – one of the 20th-century’s most lauded photographers – at Galleria Carla Sozzani in Milan. He was known for his uncanny eye for surrealism and his ability to fashion a fantasy world. At Galleria Carla Sozzani, an untouched collection of his earliest work from 1950-1955 are on show – their striking attributes prelude his later fashion photographs, bringing into view the decisive moments of the first years of his image-making. Until 12 November.

Pictured: Vogue Paris, Ottobre, 1969, by Guy Bourdin. © The Guy Bourdin Estate. Courtesy of Art + Commerce

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Golden rule
11 October

Conceptual photography double act Bernd and Hilla Becher were known for their distinctive deadpan photography. This weekend sees the opening of ‘Bernd and Hilla Becher’ at Hauser & Wirth in Zurich, with work selected by Max Becher and organised with the help of Olivier Renaud-Clement. The exhibition translates the duo’s vigorous and accurate devotion to document the hasty change in urban landscapes from the 1960s through to the early 1990s. In a period subject to simplicity, the pair revived industrial structures, employing a strategic set of rules to ensure consistency in size, style and format, they soon established their legacy as leaders of conceptual photography. Until 22 December.

Pictured: Zeche Hannibal, Bochum, Ruhrgebiet, 1973, by Bernd and Hilla Becher. © Estate Bernd and Hilla Becher. Courtesy of the Estate and Hauser & Wirth

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Get real
10 October

The innovative research project ‘Augmented Photography’, carried out by ECAL and University of Art and Design in Lausanne, offers a unique perspective on the recent changes to photographic technologies. The institutions push the creative capability of digital photographic procedures, employing out of the ordinary methods for producing, modifying, diffusing and teaching photography. A roster of these mind-bending works will be on view from this Thursday, preceding a day-long symposium on Friday, both at Gallery L’Elac in Switzerland. Until 27 October.

Pictured: Genesis 1:27, by Nicolas Toulotte, at the Augmented Photography project, 2017

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Observation station
9 October

Russian-born photographer Sasha Gusov is an inveterate people watcher. He’s interested in capturing the idiosyncrasies that make us human. A new photo essay-style book, People Like Us, made in collaboration with editorial director Amanda Renshaw, is out today, published by Laurence King. The book brings to light Gusov’s all-embracing archive, with a playful narrative, undercut by anecdotal, tongue-in-cheek captions.

Pictured: Untitled, by Sasha Gusov, 2017. © The artist

Never forget
6 October 

To commemorate the centenary of WWI, a landmark retrospective is being held at the Impressions Gallery in Bradford, UK. The debut of ‘No Man’s Land’ will open tomorrow and draws attention to female perspectives on the war. The work of three influential woman of the epoch will be displayed in parallel to three contemporary artists. Highlights include the UK’s first official female war photographer ‘Olive Edis’ capturing the imperative contributions of the female workforce, front line nurse Mairi Chisholm’s moving battle-torn snapshots, and former solider Alison Baskerville’s commissioned portraits of women in the British army today. Until 30 December.

Pictured: Irene 'Winkie' Gartside-Spaight in No Man's Land, by Mairi Chisholm, c.1916. © National Library of Scotland

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Golden ticket
5 October

Following the success of The Hepatitis C Trust’s ‘Art on a Postcard’ fundraiser, the charity is championing ‘Photography on a Postcard’. Today the lottery opens, offering the opportunity to purchase a raffle ticket that will guarantee a unique, postcard-size edition from the forthcoming showcase. On view at the Printspace in London from 12-27 October, the exhibition offers a rare opportunity for emerging photographers to exhibit work among some of the industry's greatest, like Martin Parr, Wolfgang Tillmans and Dougie Wallace.

Pictured: April. San Bernardino, California, by Jim Goldberg, 2015. © The artist

Independence day
4 October

Marking 70 years of independence in India, the London Science Museum is playing host to a host of festivities and exhibitions, with a focus on advances in science, technology and maths in the region that have changed the world. Today marks the opening of ‘Photography 1857-2017’, the first UK exhibition to survey photography in India from its beginnings to the present day. The vast showcase spans every twist and turn in India’s photographic canon, bringing into focus iconic images of royalty like Ahmad Ali Khan, through to pioneering contemporary practitioners like Vasantha Yogananthan. Until 31 March.

Pictured: Shravanabelagola, Karnataka, India, 1981, by Mitch Epstein. Courtesy of Galerie Thomas Zander, Köln

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Copy right
3 October

American photographer Sherrie Levine is known for her open reproductions of well-known works, where she challenges notions of originality and authenticity. Her latest exhibition ‘Pie Town’ opens tomorrow at London's David Zwirner Gallery, as Frieze crowds descend on the capital. Featuring the unseen series After Russell Lee 1-60 (2016), the exhibition centres on life in rural New Mexico, where Levine revisits imagery taken by photographers contracted by the Farm Security Administration, an agency set up in the 1930s to combat rural poverty in the wake of the Great Depression. Until 18 November.

Pictured: After Russell Lee, by Sherri Levine, 2016. © The artist. Courtesy of David Zwirner, London

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Tango till they’re sore
2 October

‘History of a Nightclub: Downtown AREA, NYC, 1983–87’ by Ben Buchanan opens tomorrow at Peter Harrington Gallery in London. Buchanan, the once in-house photographer of iconic Manhattan nightclub AREA, turned his lens on a debaucherous city, capturing a candid portfolio of artists and celebrities, including the likes of Andy Warhol, Tom Waits (pictured) and the Beastie Boys. The exhibition presents a rare glimpse into the scandalous nightlife of the rich, talented and famous in the eighties. Until 31 October.

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Brief encounters
29 September

‘It’s love at first sight. You see something and you have to capture it. Instinctive, bang, you feel one with it,’ the words of Patti Smith are used to describe the images inside Carrie Boretz’s photobook Street which was released earlier this week by Powerhouse Publishing. In a city filled with forgotten histories, Boretz played witness to the understated realities of everyday life in New York between the 1970s and the 90s. The photographs detain notions of simplicity and awareness, avoiding the commotion of the city. The book brings together works of the past, but with aspects of humanity that remain on the streets today.  

Pictured: Dinosaur Playground, Riverside Park and 97th Street, 1993, by Carrie Boretz, from the series Street

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Trail gazer
28 September

Daisuke Yokota is at the vanguard of experimental Japanese photography. Today, London's Roman Road Gallery opens ‘Emergence’, an exhibition showcasing three of Yokata’s recent projects. We see 53 photographs from ‘Tarantine' (2015), an intimate series stimulated by the female figures in his life. The exhibition also presents Yokoata's 'camera-less' photography, which uses copious amounts of light-sensitive colloids brushed, and then exposed, across delicate surfaces. Until 11 November.

Pictured: Untitled, by Daisuke Yokota, 2015. Courtesy of Roman Road and G/P Gallery. © Daisuke Yokota

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Identity parade
27 September

Today sees the opening of German photographer Thomas Ruff’s first major London retrospective, hosted by the Whitechapel Gallery. Curated by the gallery’s director Iwona Blazwick, the exhibition is thematically-structured, drawing upon work from the 1970s to the present day. From his large-scale, passport-style portraits to shots captured by a high-performance telescope, the show spans the habitual to the cosmic. Until 21 January.

Pictured: Porträt (P Stadtbäumer), by Thomas Ruff, 1988. © The artist

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Spy master
26 September

British photographer Lewis Bush has long resisted conventional photographic techniques. This autumn sees the release of his latest book, Shadows of the State, a visual compendium of mysterious, coded radio transmissions left behind after the Cold War. Using high-resolution satellite imagery, the photographer positions the transmitter sites of 33 radio stations where such broadcasts originated, exploring the shadows of this tumultuous era through photographs and audio-depictions from the stations.

Pictured: HM01 Spectogram, 2017, by Lewis Bush, from Shadows of the State

Writer: Samantha Thompson

State of the art
25 September

For over five decades, American film-maker and artist Eleanor Antin has championed a feminist perspective. Her debut London exhibition ‘Romans & Kings’ is on display at Richard Saltoun Gallery until 27 October, featuring both recent and older works – including the renowned Helen Odyssey (2007) and The last days of Pompeii (2002) – each exploring themes surrounding fictional and non-fictional tales. Antin’s postcard series 100 Boots (1971) will be shown at the Richard Saltoun Gallery booth at Frieze Masters next month.

Pictured: 100 Boots Lunch Break, Long Beach, California, by Eleanor Antin. © The artist. Courtesy of Richard Saltoun Gallery

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Winning streak
22 September

Yesterday, at the opening of Unseen Amsterdam Ralph Hamers revealed the winners of the ING Unseen Talent Award 2017. The final five participating artists responded to this year’s theme – ‘Common Ground’ – each delving into society’s critical concerns and highlighting a multitude of parallels among the differences. A talent programme led by the photographer Nadav Kander was offered to the finalists. But it was Andrea Grützner who shone with her series ‘Hive’, which addressed notions of surrealism and a sinister side to architecture.

Pictured: Untitled 02, by Andrea Grützner, 2017. © The artist

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Great expectations
21 September

Burberry’s unveiling of its September 2017 collection in London coincides with an homage to British photography. The showcase at Old Sessions House in Clerkenwell celebrates Britain in all its multiplicity, presenting work from over 30 influential photographers. Divided into themes reflecting different facets of life, from romance to picnics, the three-storey exhibition captures a beguiling – and at times, surprising – portrait of Britain. Photographs from Shirley Baker and Ken Russell are put on display for the very first time. Until 1 October

Pictured: Jerry Dammers, by Janette Beckman. © Janette Beckman

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Third coast
19 September

Much-admired photographer Alec Soth’s first London showing of his 2004 book Sleeping by the Mississippi opens tomorrow at Beetles + Huxley. In the exhibition, original prints from the influential series (one of the defining publications in the photobook era) are displayed alongside a previously unseen image, accompanied by the latest edition of the book, published by Mack. Through a richly colourful narrative, Soth takes us on an in-depth expedition along the Mississippi River, America’s iconic yet oft-neglected ‘third coast’. Thirteen years since its first publication, this new showcase asks us to ponder the seminal work's continuing relevance. Until 21 October.

Pictured: Fort Jefferson Memorial Cross, by Alec Soth, 2002 © Alec Soth / Magnum Photos courtesy Sean Kelly Gallery, New York and Beetles + Huxley Gallery, London

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Foster roster
18 September

Photographer Thomas Brown’s project ‘Volume of Light’ presents a new, collaborative approach to photography. Its works will be exhibited tomorrow evening at Wieden+Kennedy in Amsterdam, for one night only. Challenging the concept of authorship, Brown invites audiences to join in, either online with a dedicated website or at the launch, by ‘adopting’ the title of a chosen photograph, with a limit of 47 characters. Together, we’re encouraged to add to the finished image. The process studies the relationship between the image-taker and image-maker. Adoption is open until the last image is claimed.

Pictured: Space Has Always Reduced Me To Silence, by Thomas Brown, 2017

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Truth will out
15 September

Throughout September, Photo Oxford 2017 continues to unveil hidden photographic treasures. Curators Tim Clark and Greg Hobson have overseen a programme of events investigating the camera’s ability to disclose concealed narratives. Exhibited series include Sergei Vasiliev and Arkady Bronnikov’s images of Russian criminal tattoos, photographed between the 1960s and the mid-1980s; and a new body of work by Martin Parr, documenting the closed-doors antics of students. On view until 24 September.

Pictured: from Russian Criminal Tattoo Archive, by Arkady Bronnikov and Sergei Vasiliev. © the artists / FUEL

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Outsider art
14 September

Leonard Freed’s exhibition at Steven Kasher Gallery in New York spans 75 black-and-white photographs, taken from six of the post-war photographer’s most important bodies of work. From reflecting on his Jewish roots to tracing the conditions of black people living in ‘White America’, the exhibition ‘Six Stories’ showcases a sophisticated, and ever-relevant narrative of underrepresented communities. A master storyteller, Freed calls attention to the triumphs and tribulations of individuals he recorded with a singular, humanist vision. Until 21 October.

Pictured: Boys are Showing How Strong They are at Harlem School Rooftop Swimming Pool, Harlem, New York, by Leonard Freed, 1963. Courtesy of Steven Kasher Gallery, New York

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Third rock
13 September

Today, American photographer Lucas Foglia opens his exhibition ‘Human Nature’ at London’s Michael Hoppen Gallery. With climate change at the forefront of his mind and latest body of work, Foglia presents a series that peels back the fragility of the natural world. As the exhibition progresses, the dire importance of Foglia’s message is drilled a little deeper: ‘If humans are changing the weather, then there is no place on Earth unaltered by people.’ Until 21 October.

Pictured: Ice to Protect Orange Trees from the Cold, California, by Lucas Foglia. Courtesy of the artist and Michael Hoppen Gallery

Writer: Samantha Thompson

A fair to remember
12 September

The spheres of photography and fashion are set to collide tomorrow, as the eighth edition of the Tbilisi Photo Festival kicks off. This year’s festival will explore notions of identity and its complex relationship with fashion, representation and the photographic image. A must-see festival sure to question your way of seeing. Highlights including work by stalwarts Guy Bourdin and Viviane Sassen, as well as an extremely rare collection of East German fashion photography from the Stasi period in the 1970s. Until 20 September.

Pictured: © Suresh Punjabi / Studio Suhag

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Natural selection
11 September

Known for his penchant for reanimating history, photographer Jim Naughten will open a new exhibition, ‘Mountains of Kong’, at London’s Michael Hoppen Gallery on Wednesday. Here, science and photography collide – the artist’s latest body of work has been created using the same stereoscopic technology that was once popular practice in the 1800s. The exhibition explores the volatility of history through a series of 50 striking images of Victorian and Edwardian zoological specimens. Until 21 October.

Pictured: The Toucans, by Jim Naughten. © The artist. Courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery

Writer: Samantha Thompson

Hold your gaze
8 September

This weekend marks the third installment of annual photography festival Gazebook. Over the next three days, Sicily will be bursting as a vibrant open-air cultural event springs to life, celebrating all things photographic with a focus on publications. A myriad of events are available ranging from exhibitions and installations to artist talks, editorial launches and portfolio reviews. Amongst this there is the opportunity to engage with industry professionals, the social space promoting open discussion between creators and visitors. Until 10 September.

Pictured: The Mushroom Collection, by Jason Fulford. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Double vision
7 September

Today, SF Camerawork launches the exhibition ‘Begin Anywhere’ – a group show featuring individual and collaborative works that centre on the theme of mentorship and artistic partnership. The stimulating work on display explores the way in which artistic ideas develop and the effect of a guiding eye on this process. The exhibition is supported by a 96-page publication containing over 60 full-colour reproductions of the works on display. Until 14 October.

Pictured: Word Search, word: SIN, from Begin Anywhere, by Mark Mahaney. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Disappearing act
6 September

Known for his politically charged performances, immortalised through photography, Chinese artist Liu Bolin opens exhibition ‘Ghost Stories’ today at Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris. Since 2005’s Hiding in the City, Bolin has worked on a series of performances in which he is painted to blend in with the background behind him – this silent protest forces the viewer to confront the decay of individuality. Bolin also uses his work to denounce consumerism in modern culture. Until 29 October.

Pictured: Hiding in the City – Paris 04, Safe Door, 2011, by Liu Bolin. © The artist. Courtesy of Galerie Paris, Beijing

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Needle point
5 September

Artist Julie Cockburn is known for her sculptural manipulations of appropriated photographic prints. A new exhibition of work, ‘All Work and No Play’ (a nod to The Shining), opens tomorrow at the Flowers Gallery in London. The artist reworks vintage studio portraiture using overpainting and embroidery, rejecting mass produced artworks and addressing gender themes through the traditionally feminine craft of sewing. The works on display are orientated around contradictions – labour and experimentation, modernity and tradition. These conflicting ideologies collide in an explosion of colour intervention upon black and white photography. Until 30 September.

Pictured: First Flush by Julie Cockburn,  2017. © The artist. Courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Future seekers
1 September

Foam is known for the attention it gives to exciting emerging artists – an attribute that is never more prominent than at the gallery's Talent Call exhibitions. This year saw the 11th annual edition attract the largest influx of submissions yet. Nearly 1,800 entries have been whittled down to a longlist of 20 featured photographers under 35 years of age, from all across the world. The career-building platform celebrates the photographic medium and the ways in which avant-garde techniques develop and manifest themselves. The exhibition opens this weekend at the Amsterdam gallery before travelling internationally. Until 12 November.

Pictured: In Fourth Person, by Martin Errichiello and Filippo Menichetti. © The artists

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Time stamp
31 August

Driven by his interest in the ephemeral nature of a photograph, and a fascination with how to extend it, Netherlands-born, Brooklyn-based Ari Marcopoulos opens his second solo show at Galerie Frank Elbaz later this week. The show is titled ‘Machine’ after an 8-channel video contraption created by the artist. Focusing on the people that feature in his images from his many walks of life, skaters, rap gods, athletes, among many, Marcopoulos works with books, zines and films to extend the life of these images. Alongside his machine, the artist will paper the walls with imagery from his archive, looking at work old and new as he draws on patterns that have evolved over time within his practice. Until 14 October.

Pictured: Palm, Brooklyn, by Ari Marcopoulos, 2016

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Hazard signs
30 August

Concerned with the growing effects of pollution in China as a result of improper disposal of industrial waste, photojournalist Lu Guang’s show ‘Development and Pollution’ opens this weekend as part of Visa Pour L’Image festival in Perpignan. Through the exhibition, Guang hopes to focus global attention on the dangerous, and dramatically escalating levels of untreated wastewater pouring into the rivers and seas of his homeland. The eerie images make use of the photographer's unconventional documentary style, and shine a (hazy) light on a highly damaged reality. Until 17 September.

Pictured: Men at work in the dust. Energy-intensive, polluting industry has been transferred from the east to the central and western regions. Wuhai, Inner Mongolia, by Lu Guang, 2006. © the artist

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Anniversary pressing
29 August

The Verve – genre-defining indie band, headline stealers and Wigan-natives – rose to international acclaim with the release of their third album Urban Hymns. On the 20th anniversary of this seminal work, British documentary photographer Chris Floyd has released a monograph in the band’s name, celebrating the time he shared with Richard Ashcroft, Nick McCabe, Simon Jones, Peter Salisbury and Simon Tong on the road. Floyd is known for his ability to intimately capture his subject’s personality – something The Verve members were in no short supply of. Including previously unseen work, this is one nostalgia-filled collectors item not to miss.

Pictured: The Verve: Photographs by Chris Floyd, by Chris Floyd, 2017. Published by Reel Art Press

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Sneak peak
25 August

Swedish photographer Jacob Felländer today opens his exhibition ‘The Mountain Theory’ at CFHill in Stockholm. Ten mountain-peak prints are accompanied by text and titles taken from recording artist Anna Ternheim's upcoming album. The collaboration brings out the lyrical quality of the photographs, which are saturated in otherworldly sunlight and whirling mist. The photographs act as portraits of the peaks, imbuing each with distinct personalities. Until 15 September.

Pictured: Silver Bracelet, Ama Dablam, Himalaya, by Jacob Felländer, 2016

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Woman’s world
24 August

The history of art is punctuated with images of women as seen by men. A new exhibition at Staley-Wise Gallery in New York challenges this by exhibiting pictures of women, taken only by female photographers. In collaboration with Magnum Photos, ‘Women Seeing Women’ focusses on fashion and documentary work, in dialogue with editorial photography. A wide range of themes on display, including war, religion and style, are all interlinked by the female experience. Until 30 September.

Pictured: Traditional Indian Dance Mask, Nicaragua, by Susan Meiselas, 1978. © The artist and Magnum Photos

Writer: Hannah Tointon

New wave
23 August

Tomorrow, Cape Town’s Goodman Gallery opens ‘The Silences Between’, a group show taking its title from a 1982 Māori poetry book of the same name, in which author Keri Hulme prompts the question: ‘What is recorded in the writing of history and what is left out?’. Featuring the work of artists from all over the world, the exhibition thoughtfully considers what we’ve missed in recorded visual history. The cross-discipline work on display analyses this long and complex narrative, through moments of the mundane everyday. Until 23 September.

Pictured: Every piece of dust on Freud’s couch, by Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin, 2015

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Social spectator
22 August

Later this week, Zürich’s Bildhalle Gallery opens ‘Cosmopolitan’ – the first solo show of René Burri’s work since his death in 2014, marking the gallery’s season opening. With close attention from Burri’s family, a selection of the artist’s work will be displayed, shining a light on his ability to capture an empathetic and engaged perspective of the world. The work presents Burri as an exceptionally well traveled artist, one of Switzerland’s most revered photographers and a member of Magnum since 1959. Each image is both compositionally flawless and unmistakably human. Until 21 October.

Pictured: Building by Luis Barragán, Mexico City, by René Burri, 1976. © The artist and Magnum Photos

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Turning the page
21 August

Designer, editor and collector Manfred Heiting has joined forces with Japanese historian Kaneko Ryuichi on a mammoth new tome, launching in America later this week. The Japanese Photobook, 1912-1990 is a comprehensive investigation into the development of photobooks in Japan, filled with 3500 striking colour illustrations from over 400 publications. In the first English-language book of its kind, Heitling considers the influence of Western art movements (including Pictorialism and Bauhaus) on the Japanese photobook tradition.

Pictured: from The Japanese Photobook, 1912-1990, by Manfred Heiting. Published by Steidl

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Face value
18 August

Editta Sherman made a career for herself in photography, at a time when the medium was an entirely male-dominated field. As the daughter of a professional photographer, Sherman had always maintained image-making as a hobby – however, when her husband took leave of his job due to illness she took on the role entrepreneurially. Today, Sherman is known for her touching, intimate portraits of renowned figures, as well as her nickname – The Duchess of Carnegie Hall. Coined by her contemporary Bill Cunningham, Sherman’s moniker forms the title of a new exhibition of her portraits at the New York Historical Society Museum, which opens today. Until 15 October.

Pictured: June Carter Cash, by Editta Sherman, undated. Courtesy of New-York Historical Society, gift of Melisande Sherman

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Forward thinking
17 August

‘Sarah Charlesworth explored and questioned contemporary life through visual imagery, and her approach is particularly relevant in understanding our current image-oriented culture,’ says Michael Govan, CEO of LACMA – where a major surgery of Charlesworth’s work opens tomorrow. Aligned closely with the 1980s Pictures Generation (along with Sherrie Levine, Richard Prince, and Laurie Simmons), Charlesworth is known of her profound understanding of how life is mediated and governed by pictures, specifically through magazines, television, and film. As if foreshadowing the photo-saturated landscape of today – through collage, filters, and highly stylised arrangements – Charlesworth's earliest pictures could have been taken yesterday. Until 26 November.

Writer: Elly Parsons

Backwards glance
16 August

From Friday, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago launches its mammoth, three-part exhibition ‘We Are Here’, ringing in the Museum's 50th year in a refreshing way. Eschewing the traditional ‘from the archives’ anniversary exhibition format, the development of contemporary art is narrated through three individual shows: ‘I Am You’, ‘You Are Here’, ‘We Are Everywhere’. Each puts a different spin on the relationship between artist and viewer, tracing how this dialogue has evolved over the museum’s half-century history. These independently curated yet interrelated ‘chapters’ will run in staggered tandem until 28 January 2018.

Pictured: Chicago Board of Trade II, by Andreas Gursky, 1999. © The artist. Courtesy of Matthew Marks Gallery, New York. Photography: Nathan Keay. © MCA Chicago

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Art of change
15 August

Founded in 1930, the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York has lived through a politically turbulent century, accumulating a vast collection of over 22,000 works along the way. A new exhibition - ‘An Incomplete History of Protest’ – offers a cross-section of these archival works, alongside contemporary offerings, as the Musuem launches an investigation into the way artists continue to tackle socio-political issues. Acknowledging activism taking place both in the streets and online, the exhibition seeks to expand our knowledge of how artists choose to express their plight.

Pictured: Black Mass, by Annette Lemieux, 1991. © The artist

Writer: Hannah Tointon and Holly Patrick

Artistic revolution
14 August

The Chinese Cultural Revolution of the late 1960s and early 70s was one of the greatest influences of modern art in China. Works documenting this turbulent period in China’s socio-political history will go on show at Staatliche Museen in Berlin later this week, as part of the exhibition ‘Working On History’. Important historical pieces will be displayed comparatively with the work of contemporary Chinese artists – exploring the cultural shift in artworks recording this pivotal time. Photographic and film mediums are an integral part of this show, exploring the translation of political propaganda into a contemporary visual language. Until 7 January.
 
Pictured: Red by Mo Yi, 1985. © The artist

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Celebration time
11 August

London-based artist Sonya Dyer curates the exhibition ‘50 Years Leeds West Indian Carnival’, which is opening tomorrow at The Tetley in Leeds. Through photography, video, audio and costume the exhibition celebrates the history of the UK’s first authentic West Indian carnivalm which featured costume, music and masquerade procession. Vibrant colours, elaborate costumes and intimate moments of camaraderie have been documented and will be shared through this show. Community is an integral part of the celebrations and as such, the exhibition features mementos and artifacts donated by the public. Until 29 October.

Pictured: Queen of Carnival Kali Wilkes by Max Farrar, 1994. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Behind the scenes
10 August

Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró are among history’s most celebrated artists, iconic images of them resonate in our minds. Tomorrow, London’s Zebra One Gallery launches an exhibition of previously unseen photographs of these internationally renowned creators. Alongside the candid and intimate images are vintage press photographs of the likes of Marc Chagall, Bernard Buffet, Fernand Leger – giving a new lease of life to many well-known faces. Until end of September.

Pictured: A legend in his lifetime by Edward Quinn, 1968. Courtesy of Zebra One Gallery

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Mapped out
9 August

American artist Andrea Zittel challenges notions of authorship within art through her installation of Wall Sprawl #4 at the Nevada Museum of Art. The image itself has been sourced from an aerial image database, prior to the accessibility of platforms such as Google Maps. Using this appropriated imagery, Zittel repeats elements and creates a fictitious aerial vista that is based on a military landscape and exposes potentially classified data to the public eye. Displayed as wallpaper in the gallery’s reception, Zittel transforms an intensely conceptual work into mere decoration.

Pictured: Wall Sprawl #4 by Andrea Zittel, 2011/2014. © The artist. Courtesy of Regen Projects, Los Angeles

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Freedom fighters
8 August

Arkansas Art Centre is memorialising 60 years since the integration of Little Rock High School in America with exhibition ‘Will Counts: The Central High School Photographs’. In his capacity as a local press photographer, Counts documented the desegregation of Little Rock High School over two years as nine African American students (known as the Little Rock Nine) attempted, and eventually succeeded, to attend the school. Alongside 38 of Counts' iconic black and white prints, an interactive timeline will be displayed to contextualise the work on display. Until 22 October.
 
Pictured: taken on the morning of 4 September 1957, one member of the Little Rock Nine, Elizabeth Eckford, didn’t receive the message that all nine students were to meet and go to the school together. Arkansas National guard troops were waiting to turn her away. She walked down Park Street, followed by a jeering crowd of integration resisters, to this bus stop on 16th Street. Courtesy of the artist and Arkansas Arts Centre Foundation Collection

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Across the Arafura
7 August

Later this week the Monash Gallery of Art in Victoria opens a group show – ‘Australians in PNG’ – that highlights the work of three Australian artists who document the landscapes, people and customs of Papua New Guinea, Australia’s closest neighbour. The trio of new series from conceptual video artist Eric Bridgeman, photojournalist Stephen Dupont and new media artist Sonia Payes acknowledge the complex connections between the two territories. These radically different perspectives offer a well-rounded account, as well as serving to highlight the ongoing importance of Papua New Guinea as a subject in the Australian photographic canon. Until 8 October.

Pictured: Sing-Sing performer carrying wooden gun to represent Australian colonial ‘Patrol Officer’, Hagen show, Western Highlands, by Stephen Dupont, 2011. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Slide show
4 August

German artist Claudia Sohrens is fascinated by the possibilities of historical photographic archives. Embodying this, her ‘Red Spotted Purple’ exhibition features images by Russian photographer Roman Vishniac whose mounted scientific prints she discovered during her residency at the International Centre of Photography. Drawn to the poetic captions Vishniac gave his microscopic photographs, Sohrens asks us to consider the physical traces of the archive as well as broader questions about originality and authorship. Until 27 October.

Pictured: Chaos Chaos Amoeba, by Roman Vishniac, circa 1951. © Mara Vishniac Kohn

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Under the microscope
3 August

‘Growing up queer, I searched for a history that spoke to me – included me,’ says American artist Kris Sanford. Since her youth, she has longed for a history that she can identify with, and relate to. Her new series ‘Through the Lens of Desire’ opened this week at Portland’s Blue Sky Gallery, and uses found imagery (dating from 1920-50) to envision an imaginary, openly queer American past. The unconventional circular images reflect the act of looking through a microscope and reinforce the idea of closely inspecting these snapshots; exploring the connotations of closeness, embracing and handholding. The exhibition forms part of the gallery’s six-part series – ‘Embodied’ – highlighting progressive, experimental photography. Until 3 September.

Pictured: Box Camera, by Kris Sanford, 2009-2017. Courtesy of Blue Sky Gallery

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Pot luck
2 August

American photographic and video artist Rose Marie Cromwell is known for her progressive work exploring the relationship between the political and the spiritual. Tomorrow, Antítesis Gallery in Panama City opens ‘La Charada’ – an exhibition of 18 photographs by Cromwell, and a site-specific installation reflecting the varied experiences of Havana. The exhibition takes its title from the Cuban tradition of charada – a sort of inventory of everyday objects that Cubans refer to in order to select their numbers for the under-the-radar lottery, imbuing the items a sense of aura, or luck. This practice is evocative of the artist’s photographic style in which she captures everyday moments to immortalise them with a sense of monumentality. Until 20 August.

Pictured: Cleansing, by Rose Marie Cromwell, 2010-2016. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Child’s play
1 August

Canadian artist Jeff Wall’s 2008 photograph Playground Structure is the inspiration behind a group show of the same name opening today at the Blain Southern Gallery in London. The artist’s photograph is symbolic of play but is also evocative of structural aesthetics such as those seen in constructivism. Abstract paintings exploring similar themes and grid structures are on display in the context of Wall’s well-known image, also on show. Formal elements of line and colour are thoughtfully considered throughout this forward-thinking mixed media show. Until 16 September.

Pictured: Playground Structure, by Jeff Wall, 2008. © the artist. Courtesy of White Cube

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Developing romance
31 July

As part of Edinburgh Art Festival, Talbot Rice Gallery has opened the exhibition ‘Sex Symbols in Sandwich Signs’, featuring work by British film director Stephen Sutcliffe. The obscure title draws inspiration from a critical review of David Storey’s novel Radcliffe which has in turn influenced Sutcliffe’s work on show. In particular, one of two new video works draws parallels between Radcliffe's storyline and the unrequited fixations of British filmmaker, Lindsay Anderson, towards actor Richard Harris. Until 30 September.

Pictured: Lindsay Anderson, 1965. Courtesy of Lindsay Anderson Archive, University of Stirling

Green fingers
27 July

A major new group exhibition opens at the Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh this weekend – ‘Plant Scenery of the World’ is an ephemeral mixed media exhibition featuring painting, video, and architectural drawings alongside photographic works. The curation reflects the microclimates of the garden’s glasshouses, which celebrate their 50th anniversary this summer. The visceral exhibition investigates the relationship between a love for tropical plants and changing attitudes towards collection, exploration and study – contextualised by archival material and the contemporary work on display. Until 29 October.

Pictured: Urth (production still), by Ben Rivers, 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Kate MacGarry, London

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Land of the brave
26 July

Opening today at the Brooklyn Museum and online is ‘The Legacy of Lynching: Confronting Racial Terror in America’ organised by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), in collaboration with Google. Activist, lawyer and MacArthur Foundation Grant winner Bryan Stevenson heads up the exhibition, which focuses on the groundbreaking work that EJI have conducted on the topic of racial injustices in America. The politically charged showcase is contextualised by powerful video and photography works that intimately document the realities of racism, both institutional and local. Until 3 September.

Pictured: Thurgood in the House of Chaos, by Rashid Johnson, 2009. © the artist. Courtesy of Brooklyn Museum

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Self exploration
25 July

American visual artist Shikeith is well known for his conceptual work exploring what it means to be a black man in the modern world. A new exhibition ‘This Was His Body/His Body Finally His’ is on show from later this week at Mak Gallery in London. The second installment of the artist’s ‘Dreamscapes’ series focuses on Shikeith’s ongoing mission to challenge the typical depictions and expectations of young black youth. This is successfully achieved through his intimate self portraiture which shows the artist’s vulnerability and isolation. This contemplative series invites the viewer to think – and challenge – conventional stereotypes. Until 16 September.

Pictured: Neuroses In Blossom, by Shikeith, 2015. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Street smarts
24 July

The Photographic Angle is a charitable organisation working to disseminate high quality photographic artwork around Britain, educating the British public about photography along the way. Later this week, the charity are using Greenwood House in Berkshire as a base for its group exhibition ‘Streetscapes’. In the show, a broad selection of conceptual photographs depict street scenes from cities around the world. Despite the vastly different locations, each photographer is unified by their ability to document the realities of modern life. Unadulterated by any staging techniques, these photographs capture fleeting moments of raw human nature, unfolding one step at a time. Until 30 July.

Pictured: Silhouettes of Oslo 13, by Henning S Pettersen, 2015. Courtesy of The Photographic Angle

Writer: Hannah Tointon

The future game
21 July

Last night, the Australian Centre of Photography launched group show ‘Synthetic’ exploring the ambiguous boundary between fiction and reality through the photographic and video work of seven artists. Sc-fi films and cybernetics are among the inspirations behind this futuristic selection of work. Through images that blend the familiar and the uncanny, viewers are invited to think about our collective future and the role of humanity within it. Until 26 August.

Pictured: Archives, by David Greenhalgh, 2015. © The artist. Courtesy of the Australian Centre of Photography

Writer: Hannah Tointon

New leaf
20 July

British photographer John Spinks launches monograph ‘The New Village’ at the Photographers’ Gallery in London this evening. Spinks’ large format colour photography explores the pastoral landscapes of the village where he spent his youth and the characters who live there. Investigating the relationship between memory and place, the tome generously offers 15 years of highly personal narrative. Married with text by writer David Chandler, this is a fascinating lens into semi-rural Britain.

Pictured: The New Village, by John Spinks, 2017. © the artist

Writer: Hannah Tointon

In motion
19 July

Iconic British photographer Eadweard Muybridge is best known for his visual investigations into the way humans and animals operate their form whilst in movement. Currently on display at Beetles and Huxley in London are 65 cellotypes from his seminal 1887 series ‘Animal Locomotion’. Each plate on display shows the evolution of a particular movement captured through Muybridge’s innovative use of a line of cameras that would trigger sequentially. The artist’s documentation of movement is some of the earliest photography in the world. Until 2 September.

Pictured: Animal Locomotion: Plate 772 (Ostrich Running) by Eadweard Muybridge, 1887. © The artist. Image courtesy of Beetles+Huxley

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Modern master
18 July

The sculptural masterpieces of Renaissance artist Auguste Rodin are traditionally enjoyed on a large scale and in three dimensions, not as printed, tightly cropped images as they are in Thomas Lohr’s monograph Rodin – a collaboration between the German photographer and Swiss creative director Daniel Baer. The pairing’s second photobook, self-published, and exclusively available at Claire de Rouen Books, highlights the delicacy of Rodin’s hand on the hard white stone and his skill in mastering the formal qualities of the medium. Through highlighting refined elements of Rodin’s work, Lohr invites the viewer to contemplate the skill and passion that Rodin chiseled into his work.

Pictured: Le Baiser, by Thomas Lohr, 2017

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Jurisdiction
17 July

Dutch visual artist Robert Glas’ exhibition ‘Before the Law’ opens later this week at Foam 3h in Amsterdam, the gallery’s project space devoted to young talent. The exhibition showcases short films and photographic work from Glas’ ongoing research-led work investigating immigration and technologies used to monitor the movement of people across territories. The series on display – ‘Voor Vrij Nederland’ – juxtaposes the clinical feel of the detention centers with the intensely emotional nature of the subject matter. Throughout, Glas explores the relationship between the stoic law and those so deeply affected by it. Until 10 September.

Pictured: Slechte Vingers, by Robert Glas, 2010/2015. © the artist

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Best of British
14 July

British artist Rose Finn-Kelcey, who passed away in 2014, is revered for her socio-politically engaged work, in an array of media including performance, sculpture and photography. Finn-Kelcey’s highly experimental style is captured in ‘Life, Belief and Beyond’, the first posthumous exhibition of her work, on display from tomorrow at Modern Art Oxford. The show collates photography spanning her near 50-year career. Finn-Kelcey was a highly inventive artist with her formative installation work influencing Young British Artists of the 1990s, her work remains an inspiration to a new generation of British artists today. Until 15 October.

Pictured: The Magpie's Box, by Rose Finn-Kelcey, 1977. Courtesy of the Estate of Rose Finn-Kelcey

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Regeneration of self
13 July

South African activist Zanele Muholi makes powerful political statements through her photographic work. The 2016 ICP Affinity Award winner’s series ‘Somnyama Ngonyama: Hail the Dark Lioness’ is on show from today at Autograph ABP in London. Over 60 self portraits make up this politically charged and conceptual work. Fraught with symbolism, the series challenges us to think more deeply about racial and sexual stereotypes. The exhibition follows tropes set by Muholi’s ongoing mission to reclaim her blackness and rewrite black, queer and trans history. Until 28 October.

Pictured: Julile I, Parktown, Johannesburg by Zanele Muholi, 2016. © The artist. Courtesy of Stevenson, Cape Town/Johannesburg and Yancey Richardson, New York

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Eye of the beholder
12 July

‘Re:collection’ is the latest exhibition to grace the galleries of The Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago. Creating a trail through the history of photography, the exhibition is divided into thematic installations each which begins with a cameraless photograph. Putting into question our perception of imagery, the exhibition celebrates the radical art of photography and its ability to re-capture its subject in a multitude of ways. The forensic photography of Angela Strassheim exemplifies this idea, documenting traces of DNA where familial homicides have happened, she represents the camera as a tool to translate even the most discrete of scenes. Until 1 October.

Pictured: Evidence No. 2, by Angela Strassheim, 2009

Writer: Rosanna Bruce

Who runs the world?
12 June

American interdisciplinary artist Dell Hamilton’s work features in ‘Stand Up!’ at Gallery Kayafas in Boston, opening this week. The show shines a light on over 50 female artists, and their work. The gallery is keen to highlight that their definition of ‘female’ includes ‘anyone who identifies as cisgender, genderqueer, trans women, femmes, and non-binary people of all cultures and experience’. The diversity within the group aims to highlight the disparity of female practitioners in many artistic community, as well as examining relationships between power and privilege. Until 13 July.

Pictured: Emulsions in Departure #14, 
by Dell Hamilton, 2016. Courtesy of Gallery Kayafas

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Cut and paste
10 July

American born, London-based based artist Anthony Gerace has released his first monograph – ‘And Another Thing’ – with Aint-Bad Publishing. Gerace's keen eye is matched with a talent for curation with his pleasing collage and astute sequencing. The images he has collated rework seven years of his own vibrant material. Through this timeline, readers are invited to explore themes of memory. All the while, Gerace leads us on a journey, exploring the fragility of the book as printed matter.

Writer: Hannah Tointon

In the ring
7 July

The eighth of October 1792 marked the final day of German contemporary art show Documenta, whereby sculptor Joseph Beuys staged a boxing match with Kassel art student, Abraham David Christian. Each stood for an opposing political systems – Beuys for ‘direct democracy’ and Christian for ‘representative government’. The gloves worn by Beuys became part of a sculptural installation known as Boxkampf für die direkte Demokratie. Today, German cinematographer, Hans Albrecht Lusznat, documents this conceptual masterpiece in order to contextualise Beuys’ gloves, which are now on show at Waddington Custot, London. The series of photographs capture the politically charged boxing match illustrating the tension of the battle and sweetness of Beuys’ victory. Until 11 August.

Pictured: 27 Boxkampf für die direkte Demokratie' at documenta V by Joseph Beuys, 1972. Copyright Hans Albrecht Lusznat, 2017. Courtesy of Waddington Custot

Writer: Hannah Tointon

A new thread
6 July

Images of women hold a central place in contemporary digital culture today, and discussions surrounding the subjective female experience are rooted in the body – and in objectification. In a new photobook of digitally constructed images, London Southbank undergraduate Hannah Tointon, contrasts intimate female photography with the craft of weaving, a skill traditionally associated with women. Through digitalisation, Tointon interlaces a contemporary practice with the female form, creating an empowering series of images. The book itself is bound in rouge linen, as opposed to a formally published tome - showing the fragility of her handmade work. Tointon’s series, To My Darling, is a refreshing act, weaving the past into the present.

Pictured: Untitled, by Hannah Tointon, 2017

Writer: Katie Meston

Profession obsession
5 July

Unlike many photographers, Canadian conceptual artist Rodney Graham is the subject of his own work. Behind the radiant façade of a series of lightboxes, Graham exposes his personal biography to the visitors of the Museum Frieder Burder. Comparable to a metaphor of a theatre stage, Graham’s work touches on the pressures of acting to a role, but behind closed curtains, melancholy often applies. Dating from 2000 to the present, the works give an impression of a burdened time traveller. Graham moves in various disguises through the mistakes and confusion of modern culture, thereby slipping into the role of producers, spectators and intermediaries. His Media Studies 77, (pictured) satirises media research and academia in the post-factual world we live in today. Until 26 November.

Pictured: Media Studies 77, by Rodney Graham, 2016. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth and the artist. Ⓒ Rodney Graham, 2017

Writer: Katie Meston

Bar fly
4 June

French-born, Berlin-based photographer Maxime Ballesteros grew up in a small town near Lyon. But his small town upbringing does not reflect the content of his first monograph Les Absents published by Hatje Cantz in cooperation with Sang Bleu. Scenes of debauched Berlin nightlife fill the 280 pages of his new publication. The visual journey follows sordid Berlin nights as Ballesteros immerses himself in the social lives of his subjects. Ballesteros’ heavily saturated images are a window into a wild and exclusive side of Berlin.

Pictured: The Dreamhouse Experience, Berlin, from Les Absents by Maxime Ballesteros, 2013. Courtesy of Hatje Cantze

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Head above water
3 July

Internationally recognised photographer Gideon Mendel is well known for his socially charged projects. Most recently, the affects of flooding in different cultures and geographies have been Mendel’s focus – he has documented floods in 13 different countries since 2007. The resulting work Drowning World will be exhibited from today at the Rencontres d’Arles festival in France. Mendel’s distinctive, intimate style of portraiture is embodied by Submerged Portraits, one of the four series exhibited. These hard-hitting studies show the vulnerability and defiance of those affected by natural disaster. Until 24 September.

Pictured: Francisca Chagas dos Santos, Taquari District, Rio Branco, Brazil, March 2015, from the series Submerged Portraits by Gideon Mendele, 2015. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Memory lane
30 June

When he was nine, Peter Watkins’ mother took her own life by walking into the North Sea at Zandvoort. Twenty years later, Watkins began his enduring project on memory and bereavement, titled The Unforgetting, now on show at Webber Represents. Watkins’ theme denotes a gathering of proof, fragments and artifacts from his interrupted life. One of the more peculiar pieces includes an axe embedded in a log, and a portrait of his grandfather, both cast in depersonalised monochrome. Wood appears frequently throughout the project, a nod to Watkins’ Germanic roots and the folklore behind the forest that was a part of his mother’s youth. Although death holds a ghostly presence throughout, Watkins’ interpretation of how the lost live on is something we all can resonate with. Until 31 July.

Pictured: Opa and Axe, by Peter Watkins, 2012

Writer: Katie Meston

Immersion therapy
29 June

British-born photographer and videographer Theo Eshetu, known for his experimental style, today launches his 2015 video work The Slave Ship at Tiwani Contemporary in London. Drawing on both his affinity for the moving image, and his passion for anthropological study, the video depicts a glowing orb, suspended in a black void, featuring tumultuous oceans and fantastical landscapes. Eshetu plays with the viewers expectations and perceptions delivering an immersive and thought-provoking video work. Until 12 August.

Pictured: The Slave Ship, video installation by Theo Eshetu, 2015. © The artist. Courtesy Tiwani Contemporary

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Holy order
28 June

Acclaimed British photographer Michael Kenna, known for his dramatic landscapes, breaks with his traditional style in his series ‘Confessionals’ on show from today at Beetles + Huxley gallery in London. The series, which shows a typological exploration of Catholic confessional booths, was documented on his journey through the northern Italian town of Reggio Emilia. This series is presented in the exhibition alongside his lyrical series Abruzzo, which juxtaposes the wild and pastoral landscapes of the Italian region of the same name. Kenna’s iconic black and white photography illustrates an intimate emotional connection to the expansive landscapes in which he immerses himself. Until 15 July.

Pictured: CONFESSIONAL, STUDY 49, CHIESA DI SANTA MARIA ASSUNTA, MINOZZO, REGGIO EMILIA, ITALY, by Michael Kenna, 2015. © The artist. Courtesy of Beetles + Huxley, London

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Sounding off
27 June

Opening today at New York's Pace Gallery, in collaboration with Pace MacGill, is a multi-sensory treat. Called ‘Border Cantos’, the exhibition plays host to a unique collaboration between American landscape photographer Richard Misrach and Mexican experimental composer Guillermo Galindo. An amalgamation of Misrach’s large format and iPhone photography with Galindo’s musical scores, the immersive experience also integrates sound clips made with instruments that Galindo fashions himself. But this is more than just ear-candy. The show's hard-hitting themes examine the socio-political dialogue surrounding immigration across the US - Mexico border. Until 18 August.

Pictured: Border Patrol target range, Boca Chica Highway, near Gulf of Mexico, Texas, by Richard Misrach, 2013. © The artist. Courtesy of Pace and Pace/McGill Gallery, New York

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Centre stage
26 June

Today, The Korean Cultural Centre UK in London opens its exhibition ‘Rehearsal from the Korean Avant-Garde Performance Archive’ – an exploration of the development of Korean performance art in the 1960s and 70s. The rebellious art form was a break from traditional expectations of what fine art should look like, at a time when the term ‘performance art’ did not exist in Korea. Featuring primary source material donated from the personal archives of pioneering artists such as Kang-Ja Jung and Ku-Lim Kim, the exhibition takes a non-linear approach to chronicling this period of artistic experimentation, choosing to pick key moments and celebrate them. Adding a contemporary perspective, the show also incorporates modern recreations of important past performances. Until 19 August.

Pictured: Murder at the Han-riverside, performance of Kuk-Jin Kang, Kang-Ja Jung, Chan-Seung Jung, 17 October 1968. Courtesy of Rehearsals from the Korean Avant-Garde Performance Archive at Korean Cultural Centre UK

Writer: Hannah Tointon

American journey
23 June

Three coveted bodies of work come together in the latest exhibition at The High Museum of Art Atlanta. These belong to British photographer Paul Graham, and show his exploration of themes like racial and social inequality, and the texture of everyday life in America. Using his method of capturing life as it is, he creates an intriguing lens for American life and its social issues. Titled ‘The Whiteness of the Whale,’ the exhibition is made up of 40 photographs organised by Pier 24, and marks the first major museum exhibition in the Southeast for the British photographer. Until 22 October.

Pictured: Pittsburgh (detail), from a shimmer possibility collection by Paul Graham, 2004. © The artist. Courtesy Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Speak out
22 June

There was a flurry of political discussions between artists during the 1970-80s in the UK. A lot was going on – anti-immigration laws, civil rights acts, black feminism, just to name a few. A new dual, mixed media show opening today at the South London Gallery and the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art features a plethora of painting, photography and video, as well as archival material that arose from black artists during this era. Titled ‘The Place is Here,’ the show, spread across these two locations, explores this poignant, and slightly contentious decade of British culture.

Pictured: Autoportrait [part-work] by Joy Gregory, 1990. © The artist. Courtesy of The South London Gallery

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Kaleidoscope
21 June

Chinese fine art photographer Kitty Chou is known for her experimental, abstract style. Today, her third solo show – ‘Countervision’ – opens at Ben Brown Fine Arts in Hong Kong, marrying work from two recent and ongoing projects, ‘Reflections’ and ‘Colour and Space’. In both, the artist distorts reality totally authentically without the use of post-production – she doesn't colour correct, enhance or even crop the raw images. Nonetheless, psychedelic colour and surreal patterns burst from the page, undenearth a nostalgic grain effect, from Chou’s steadfast, simply digital camera. Until 27 July.

Pictured: White, Red, Blue & Green #1, by Kitty Chou, 2016. Courtesy of Ben Brown Fine Arts, Hong Kong

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Young talent
20 June

Activists Sam and Jack Powers travelled to Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo last year to work alongside CAMME, a charity who aid children victimized in the Second Congo War. While there, they ran a week-long photography workshop, aiming to teach the children a life skill, and allowing them to share their story from their own perspective. The resulting images form the powerful exhibition ‘Lens on Life’ hosted at the Benrubi Gallery in New York later this week. Each portrait offers intimate insight into the pain, strength and sense of community surviving in war-torn Africa. Until 25 August.

Pictured: Untitled, from the Lens on Life Project, 2016. Courtesy of Lens on Life Project and Benrubi Gallery, NYC

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Getting physical
19 June

London-based organisation Open Doors was set up last year by three local creatives, to bring the work of up and coming, under-represented photographers into focus. Originally an online platform, it has recently branched out into physical showcases and print sales, like the one that took over a Hoxton pop-up exhibition space this weekend. The work of eight photographers from all corners of the globe (Brighton to Alicante) were put centre stage. ‘Our photographers are drawn to the fringes of our societies and of our urban spaces,’ says Open Doors. ‘They’re focused on capturing the peculiarities of the people they meet and the challenges involved in simplifying the chaos of the every day.'

Pictured: Colours II, by Ryan Staley. © The artist. Courtesy of Open Doors Gallery

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Prize prose
16 June

Yesterday, New York’s Steven Kasher Gallery opened its first solo exhibition of acclaimed Nigerian photographer, essayist and novelist Teju Cole. Featuring 30 coloured photographs from his ‘Blind Spot’ series, the exhibition draws on questions of vision, an exploration Cole began following a temporary spell of blindness in 2011. The showcase also marks the launch of Cole’s new publication of the same name, in which his alluring prose acts as a lyrical voiceover to the complex imagery, where details are obscured and scenes half seen. Until 11 August.

Pictured: New York City, by Teju Cole, May 2015. Courtesy of Steven Kasher Gallery, New York

Writer: Katie Meston

Art of protest
15 June

American activist, photojournalist and videographer Steve Schapiro today launches a new exhibition – ‘Freedom Now’ ­– at the Fahey/Klein Gallery in Los Angeles. Schapiro’s early work for publications such as Life Magazine garnered international acclaim. Such images form the basis of this show. On assignment for Life in the 1960s, Schapiro travelled with the Civil Rights Movement to Mississippi, alongside fellow activist and writer James Baldwin. Together, they documented the realities of voter suppression, police intimidation, and the necessity for civil disobedience. The resulting photo series is a powerful depiction of the unstable, fractious time – still poignant today. Until 29 July.

Pictured: The Worst Is Yet To Come, New York, by Steve Schapiro, c. 1968. © The artist. Courtesy of the Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Coast is clear
14 June

Celebrated British photographer and ruthless documentarian Martin Parr launches a new exhibition today at his London gallerists, Rocket. Over the last three years, Parr has been toying with new and exaggerated styles, introducing a telephoto lens to his arsenal. As seen in this series, Beach Therapy, he towers above or out of sight of his subjects, capturing them unknowingly. The seaside setting marks another change for the artist, who favours intimate interior settings. The open, sprawling landscapes allow Parr to capture his unlikely cast of characters unencumbered. Until 2 July.

Pictured: Mar Del Plata, Argentina, by Martin Parr, 2014. Courtesy of Rocket Gallery

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Out of this world
13 June

French fine-art photographer Vincent Fournier, known for his utopian, sci-fi inspired work will exhibit his ‘Space Project’ as part of Photo Basel this week, (14-18 June). Reality and fantasy are blurred as the artist depicts stark make-believe spacescapes, staged at real space organisations and landing sites. Fournier’s extraterrestrial aesthetic forms part of La Galerie Paris’ stand at the Swiss photo fair. Until 18 June.

Pictured: Mars Desert Research Station #6 [MDRS], Mars Society, San Rafael Swell, Utah, U.S.A, by Vincent Fournier, 2008. Courtesy of the artist and La Galerie Paris

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Heaven on earth
12 June

‘Chiese’ is an online photography portfolio of Milan’s contemporary churches. Presented by location scouting agency, Anticámera Agency, and taken by fashion photographer Stefan Giftthaler, the collection highlights the beauty and history of each location. Soft lighting and empty scenes evoke a sense of solitude, echoing the contemplative, peaceful nature of the venues the artist inhabits.

Pictured: Gallarate Parrocchia San Paolo Apostolo (1971-73) Architects: Mariarosa Zibetti, Stefano Ribaldone, by Stefan Giftthaler, 2017. Courtesy of Anticámera Agency

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Beauty in destruction
9 June

American-born photographer Lynn Alleva Lilley launches her photobook debut, Tender Mint, at Vienna Photobook Festival this weekend. Three years in the making, the personal collection of images tracks Lilley’s new life in Amman, Jordan after she moved from America with her family. Loss and grief fill the pages, along with a sense of irony – we’re confronted with endlessly attractive landscapes located in areas of war, heartbreak and destruction. Published by The Eriskay Connection.

Pictured: from Tender Mint, by Lynn Alleva Lilley, 2017

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Street style
8 June

British street photographer and photojournalist Neil Libbert’s first major solo show opens today at the Michael Hoppen Gallery in London. Libbert has sustained a highly successful practice as a photojournalist for 60 years, working for a host of national publications including The Guardian and The Observer. This exhibition showcases seminal work from his career, including previously unseen images. Filled with snapshots of contemporary culture, the display celebrates Libbert’s ability to capture what French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson famously coined ‘the decisive moment’. Until 21 July.

Pictured: Times Square, New York, by Neil Libbert, 1974. Courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Spacescape
7 June

Swedish photographer Mårten Lange's photobook, The Mechanism, launches today at Webber Gallery, London. The sci-fi narrative depicts a haunting future environment, comprising potent images that allude to an intimidating, not so distant time. To match, the imagery is mechanical, modern and foreboding. Entirely monochrome, Lange's latest offering shines a light on technology and surveillance, predicting an era completely disconnected from humanity. Published by MACK.

Pictured: from The Mechanism, by Mårten Lange, 2017. Courtesy of the artist and MACK

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Down to earth
6 June

Curated by renowned writer, artist and curator David Campany, ‘A Handful of Dust’, opens today at the Whitechapel Gallery in London. It's an unlikely group exhibition exploring the surprisingly diverse (and interesting) motif of dust. Work from 30 photographers is displayed – from sandy landscapes to depictions of destruction – in an eclectic mix of colour and black and white photography, unified through the hazy presence of dust. Until 3 September.

Pictured: Ruins in Reverse, by Mona Kuhn, 2012. Courtesy of Flowers Gallery

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Media mogul
5 June

Opening on Saturday, ‘The Run-On of Time’, is the first gallery retrospective of documentary photographer and photojournalist Eugene Richards. Staged at the George Eastman Museum in New York, the show features work spanning Richards’ 40 year career. The images illustrate Richards’ ability to make a connection between the camera and his subject, which in turn draws the viewer into the frame. His emotive documentary photography was previously known and respected through the media, now, it is being appreciated as art. Until 22 October.

Pictured: U.S. Marine, Hughes, Arkansas, by Eugene Richards, 1970. © the artist. Collection of Eugene Richards

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Rediscovery
2 June

‘Female Force from Japan', an exhibition currently showing at Ibasho gallery in Antwerp, is the first event in an annual programme that showcases the work of up-and-coming Japanese photographers. This group show presents work from 12 female photographers. The pictured work is from Yukari Chikura’s series ‘Fluorite Fantasia’ in which the photographer explores the feeling of loss following the passing of her late father. Until 2 July.

Pictured: Fluorite Fantasia, by Yukari Chikura, 2015. Courtesy of Ibasho Gallery

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Industry town
1 June

‘KNIVES’, an exhibition of work by artist Jason Koxvold opens today at Gnomic Book’s popup gallery in New York. This work explores the effect of globalisation on a rural town in America that was once centered around the cutlery industry, from the transition of the profession to outsourced labour to how this affects the inhabitants when their livelihood is removed. These themes are explored through portraits of the town’s residents which are juxtaposed with typological images of knives, referencing the cutlery industry and contextualising the participants loss. Until 3 June.

Pictured: Untitled (KNIVES), by Jason Koxvold, 2017, Courtesy of Gnomic Book, NY

Striking light
31 May

Opening tomorrow, ‘Metaphors’ is the first solo show of American photographer Minor White at Loewe Foundation in Madrid as part of PhotoEspaña. White began his photographic career in the late 1930s, when he was commissioned to photograph historic buildings. Almost a century on, 40 of his original prints will be exhibited showcasing his emotive treatment of light and attention to composition. The diverse series contains private studies of the male form juxtaposed with portraiture and cityscapes. Until 25 August.

Pictured: 72 N. Union Street, Rochester, by Minor White, 1958. Courtesy of Howard Greenberg Gallery, NY. Reproduced with permission of the Minor White Archive, Princeton University Art Museum. © Trustees of Princeton University

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Self expression
30 May

‘Etudes’, a new series by fashion editor and photographer Tyler Udall goes on display today at The Little Black Gallery in London. The exhibition shines a spotlight on millennials, particularly in terms of gender and sexuality. Each intimate portrait gives an honest depiction of Udall’s subjects in their own space. Shot over three years, the project offers insight into the journeys of young people who are challenging stereotypes and smashing long-outdated conventions. Until 10 June.

Pictured: Rio In His Car, by Tyler Udall, 2014. © Courtesy of The Little Black Gallery, London

Writer: Hannah Tointon

Mind games
26 May

South African photographer Roger Ballen and New York-based digital manipulator Asger Carlsen have a lot in common. Both artists are fearless, and fascinated by the subconscious. A new exhibition, called 'No Joke', opens today at Diesel Art Gallery Tokyo, in which the two talents have joined forces. They've used the opportunity to delve deeper into their shared areas of subliminal interest, physically exploring the complex relationship between mind and body. They have altered bodies and sculptures alike, overlaying twisted appendages with clever digital trickery. A book signing with Carlsen will be held tonight at the gallery. Until 17 August.

Pictured: Morphed, by Roger Ballen and Asger Carlsen, 2016. © the artists. Courtesy of Dittrich & Schlechtriem, Berlin

Writer: James Warren

New York minute
25 May

The streets of New York tell rock ‘n’ roll stories. Few know this better than Rolling Stones journalist Mochele Primi. For a new photobook, he’s teamed up with Irish-born photographer Ciro Frank Schiappa who already has a string of photobooks on both street photography and New York under his belt. New York Serenade takes you on a musical journey, paying particular attention to the evolution of New York’s urban architecture. The 48 large format images included describe iconic places in the city’s legendary rock history, each paired with an anecdotal quip from Primi. Think legendary venues, record stores and torn-up jam rooms. Published by Rizzoli.

Pictured: from New York Serenade, by Ciro Frank Schiappa

Writer: James Warren

Brick works
24 May

It's your last chance to see Hélène Binet’s latest exhibition 'Transitions' at Solo Galerie in Paris. Binet is one of the world's leading architectural photographers. Her imagery explores the way photography and architecture are both in perpetual states of change; aging, fading, and shifting in different lights. This exhibition comprises four series of work, 30 years in the making. Structures by Daniel Libeskind, Sergio Musmeci, Sigurd Lewerentz and Sverre Fehn are all featured in her work. Together, they make a photographic narrative of contemporary architecture. Until 27 May.

Pictured: 'Daniel Liebeskind: The Jewish Museum'; working site - Berlin, Allemagne, 1968, by Hélène Binet, 1996. © the artist and Solo Galerie

Writer: James Warren

Colour pioneer
23 May

Currently on at Beetles + Huxley in London is Joel Meyerowitz’s exhibition 'Towards Colour'. The exhibition includes his early seminal street photography work from 1963 to 1978 taken in Florida, New Mexico, New York and his travels to Europe. Some of his rare black and white photographs are shown within the exhibition, which follows on to him moving to the use of colour film. Meyerowitz was one of the main photographers who drove colour photography to become mainstream. Until 24 June.

Pictured: New York City, 1973, by Joel Meyerowitz. © Joel Meyerowitz. Courtesy Beetles + Huxley

Writer: James Warren

Home truths
22 May

'Aller-Retour' – an exhibition showcasing six Swiss artists' work – is currently showing at Kunstmuseum Thun in Switzerland. Focusing on the theme of leaving and returning home, Reto Camenisch, David Favrod, Martin Glaus, Yann Gross, Daniela Keiser and Ella Maillart document their lives living in Switzerland and overseas. A broad mix of art, press and travel photography affords different, but complementary, viewpoints. Together, they build a full and vibrant picture of life on the road, and constrastingly, life standing still. Until 13 August.

Pictured: Mishiko, by David Favrod, 2012, from the series 'Hikari'. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: James Warren

Talent show
19 May

Currently on at the Foam Museum in Amsterdam is 'Foam x African Artists’ Foundation'. It features work by three photographers from Kenya and Nigeria: Mūchiri Njenga, Osborne Macharia and Kadara Enyeasi. From collages showing the relation between space and the human form, portraits of members of Kenyan tribes, to a screening of a post-apocalyptic African slum, the artist’s work questions whether we are looking at utopia, dystopia or real life. Until 27 August.

Pictured: Text A, from the series 'L’Ouverture I', by Kadara Enjeasi, 2015. © the artist

Writer: James Warren

Is this real life?
18 May

'Shadows Are Cast By Things And People' opens tomorrow at the Australian Centre for Photography in Sydney. The exhibition features photographers Daniel Shea, Jordan Madge, Irina Rozovsky and Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa, who all explore the relationship between documenting realism, fiction and questioning the nature of truth. By using source material such as true crime stories, locations or a time in history, the photographers each explore various political narratives looking to distil a larger truth than the basic facts reveal. Curatorial group 'The Heavy Collective' represented by Jack Harries curated the exhibition, as part of ACP’s Carte Blanche Programme. Until 8 July.

Pictured: Untitled from Devils Lake, by Daniel Shea, 2016. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: James Warren

Photo vision
17 May

'General View', an exhibition by Thomas Albdorf, is currently on at Webber Gallery Space in London. The show explores Albdorf's fascination with photographing the world and how the medium of photography changes our experience of seeing the world. Throuhgout his series, Albdorf creates moments around the archetypal landscape of Yosemite National Park – a place that he has never visited. He uses blurs and glitches within his photography to show contemporary viewing experiences such as Google Street View. Until 3 June.

Pictured: General View, by Thomas Albdorf. Courtesy of Webber Gallery Space

Female gaze
16 May

Maisie Cousins' first solo exhibition ‘grass, peonie, bum’ at TJ Boulting London explores the themes of femininity and sexuality within her work, which addresses the misogynistic ideals of beauty with humour and erotic imagery. As part of the exhibition, Cousins has collaborated with celebrity perfumer Azzi Glasser to create a sensory installation. Until 24 June.

Pictured: Ants by Maisie Cousins, 2015

Writer: James Warren

Pocket money
15 May

The latest monograph by filmmaker and photographer Lauren Greenfield – Generation Wealth – explores American youth and beauty culture, the rise of conspicuous consumption and the indefatigable charge of consumerism. Particularly, Greenfield expertly unveils the very adult mindframe of young children at beauty pageants – undercut by an air of sugary innocence. With 650 images and 150 first person interviews, this is a blockbuster narrative, cumulating in a troubling view on the pursuit of money, status, beauty and fame. Published by Phaidon. Lauren Greenfield will be in conversation at the Design Museum on 18 May.

Pictured: Kailia Deliz, by Lauren Greenfield. © Lauren Greenfield/INSTITUTE

Writer: James Warren

Taste the difference
12 May

‘Nearly Eternal’ – a deliciously different exhibition currently on display at Mark Jacob's Tokyo book boutique – showcases imagery from Norbert Schoerner and Steve Nakamura’s photobook of the same name. Still and suspenseful, Schoerner and Nakamura's food photography is known for its humorous bent and rich colours. Throughout the book, the duo challenges our sensory perceptions. The food – however tasty it might appear – is actually plastic display models. Questions of fiction, reality, and consumerism are all handled by the experienced pair with just the right amount of seasoning. Until 21 May.

Pictured: from ‘Nearly Eternal’, by Norbert Schoerner and Steve Nakamura. Courtesy of the artists and Bookmarc Tokyo

Writer: James Warren

All together now
11 May

For the past four years, Accumulate has been enriching the lives of long-term homeless-hostel residents in London. The charitable organisation runs weekly photography workshops, headed up by students at Ravensbourne College, and supported by a wealth of professional artists, tutors and mentors. Tomorrow, an exhibition of the participants' work will be going on display at 1 Kings Place in London, hosted by The Guardian. Called ‘Made by Us’, all the featured work will be available to buy, with proceeds going to the artists. ‘Everyone is learning, collaborating and achieving together,’ says Accumulate founder Marice Cumber, ‘Accumulate really shows what can happen through creativity, and the community working together.’ Until 3 June.

Pictured: Alone, by Brandon Rendell, 2017. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: James Warren

The road to Syria
10 May

'A Lens on Syria' by Russian documentary photographer Sergey Ponomarev is currently on view at London's Imperial War Museum. The exhibition features over 60 photographs, divided into two sections – 'Assad’s Syria' and 'The Exodus'. The former features 24 images from a hard-hitting photo-essay of the same name, which offers rare insight into what life was really like for people living in Syria between 2013 and 2014, after Ponomarev was one of very few photographers allowed access to government-controlled areas. The latter features a digital installation of more than 40 images taken at the height of the European refugee crisis (2015 – 2016) for the New York Times. Until 3 September.

Pictured: from 'Assad’s Syria', by Sergey Ponomarev, 2013 - 2014. Courtesy of the artist for the New York Times

Writer: James Warren

Dreams of China
9 May

When she was a child, Spanish photographer Coco Capitán was convinced that if she dug a hole large enough in her garden, she would reach the seemingly remote and mysterious land of China. After multiple subsequent visits to the world's most populous country, today marks the launch of her first photobook, Middle Point Between My House and China. Inside, we discover images cast with the innocence of a young Capitán, yet beating with the intelligent, probing eye she has today. The artist will be signing books tonight between 6 – 8pm at Claire de Rouen's London store.

Pictured: from 'Middle Point Between My House and China', by Coco Capitán, 2017. Published by Maximillian William

Writer: James Warren

From East to West
8 May

Magnum photographer Harry Gruyaert’s latest exhibition 'Western and Eastern Light' opens tomorrow at Michael Hoppen Gallery. Influenced by New York's early pop art movement, the show is an overview of many of Gruyaert's different series, spanning the streets of Moscow to the lakes in Arizona. Gruyaert has been a pioneer in the use of colour, with jewel-hued scenes becoming his trademark – using light and texture to create atmospheric tableaux. Until 27 June.

Pictured: USA, Las Vegas, International Airport, by Harry Gruyaert, 1982. Courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery, Magnum Photos and the artist

Writer: James Warren

Photographic memory
5 May

American photographer James Welling’s exhibition 'Metamorphosis' has just opened at Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien, featuring photography, video and sculpture from the 1970s to today. His photos show bold experimentation with the medium, using analogue, digital and camera-less photography techniques (where an object is placed in contact with a photosensitive surface in the dark). Welling studied painting before starting out in photography and it is a key influence within his work, which shines through this graphic, stylised showcase. Until 16 July.

Pictured: 0154 (aus der Serie Glass House, 2006– 14), by James Welling,  2015. Courtesy of Regen Projects, Los Angeles and the artist

Writer: James Warren

Time flies
4 May

'Inner Landscapes' is the group exhibition currently on display at Sid Motion Gallery in London, including work by Dafna Talmor, Mick Finch, Minnie Weisz and Ben Nason. Each featured photographer explores the relation between time, place and memory. For instance, Dafna Talmor’s series Constructed Landscapes is created using medium format colour negatives collaged into a final image when exposed. Elsewhere, Book of Knowledge by Mick Finch searches for images within volumes of encyclopedias, superimposing them to form new landscapes. Until 2 June.

Pictured: Untitled (NE-040404-1), by Dafna Talmor, 2015. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: James Warren

An icon rediscovered
3 May

C/O Berlin is currently filled with over 300 William Klein images and artifacts, in an uncompromising new exhibition. Klein has been using film and photography as his medium since he moved to Paris in 1948, and his subject matter varies from street fashion and social unrest, to the early, penetrating influence of mass media. All captured with Klein's unmistakable eye, the display ranges from vintage prints, contact sheets, tableaux, books, movies and magazines spanning 60 years. Until 2 July.

Pictured: Club Allegro Fortissimo, Paris 1990, by William Klein, 2001. © The artist

Writer: James Warren

It's all relative
2 May

Currently on display as part of Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival is Petra Collins' first Toronto-based exhibition ‘Pacifier’. Set between her homes in Budapest and Toronto, the exhibition documents Collins' family throughout 2016, affording us direct insight into the photographer's private life. Intimate, diary-style images vividly portray her relationship with mental illness, and turbulent times within the family unit. Until 24 June.

Pictured: Anna and Kathleen (Rainbow), by Petra Collins, 2016. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: James Warren

Street Life
28 April

C/O Berlin presents Harf Zimmermann’s latest exhibition 'Hufelandstraße', a photographic documentation of the street in the postal area 1055 in Berlin, featuring iconic houses from the Gründerzeit period. Zimmerman documents his time going from door to door, capturing the unique characters that he met along the way. The residents he photographs, such as the artists, craftsmen and musicians of the area represent a more colourful presence, compared to the monotone grey memories of the Second World War. Today, the street can be seen as somewhat of a case study in the rapid gentrification and structural change in inner city Berlin – with only a handful of the residents still located here. Until 2 July.

Pictured: Bullterrier Rocky, 1986, by Harf Zimmermann. Courtesy of C/O Berlin and the artist

Writer: James Warren

Urban design
27 April

The exhibition 'Building Utopias' opens tonight at The Folio Club in Barcelona, curated by Perdiz Magazine as part of IAM Weekend 2017. The work of four different artists – Rita Puig-Serra, Dani Pujalte, Mar Ordonez and Carlota Guerrero – will be exhibited at the space, working to unwrap the theme ‘The Renaissance of Utopias’ using the mediums of photography, video and performance. 'Good Luck with the Future', the work pictured, was created collaboratively by Rita Puig-Serra and Dani Pujalte.

Pictured: Good Luck with the Future, by Rita Puig-Serra and Dani Pujalte. Courtesy of the artists

Writer: James Warren

Sunny side up
26 April

Alice Hawkins takes us on a quirky journey around the globe in her first photo book, Alice’s Adventures. Throughout the book, Alice explores individuality and fantasy with playfulness, taking the reader along on her remarkable road trip. Iconic names such as Donatella Versace, Gisele Bündchen and Dakota Johnson are featured within the book, alongside sketchbook images and behind the scenes polaroids. The book also includes short contributions from key mentors and collaborators such as Nick Knight, Katie Grand and John C. Jay. Hawkins visual journey is mesmerising and exacting.

Pictured: Paloma Faith for Ponystep Magazine, from Alice’s Adventure book, by Alice Hawkins. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: James Warren

Work the crowd
25 April

Rinko Kawauchi’s latest exhibition - 'Halo' - is currently on at Christophe Guye Gallerie. The exhibition follows on from her book Ametsuchi, further exploring the three interlinked ideas found there. One series looks at the countless numbers of migratory birds that flock to Europe in the winter and how their movement gives power to the crowd. Another series looks at the DaShuhua fireworks festival in Hebei in China, which originated when people threw molten iron against city walls to form a rain of light. The third series focuses on ancient Japan's Kami Mukae Sai, or 'month of the Gods' in which communities gather to celebrate higher beings. Throughout the project, Kawauchi displays how witnessing beauty can be a communal, spiritual experience, no matter where you are in the world. Until 18 August.

Pictured: Untitled, from the series 'Halo', by Rinka Kawauchi, 2017. © the artist. Courtesy of Christophe Guye Galerie

Writer: James Warren

Hard truths
24 April

Currently on at Francesca Maffeo Gallery in Southend is Jordi Ruiz Cirera’s exhibition, ‘The United Soya Republic’. It in, we journey through the heartlands of the Southern Cone’s agribusiness, playing witness to changes in the landscape (both physical and socio-economical), brought on by intensive farming. Over three years, Cirera travelled through South America, meeting and documenting landowners, labourers, activists, jobless farmers and those affected by toxic pesticides put on the land, aiming to understand the complexities and issues facing the region. Through his moving work, Cirera glimpses the happiness of family life alongside the brutal hardships. Until 3 June.

Pictured: Boy bathing in a barrel, by Jordi Ruiz Cirera. Courtesy of the artist and Francesca Maffeo Gallery

Writer: James Warren

High resolution
21 April

Last night, the winners were announced for the Sony World Photography Awards at Somerset House in London. From over 227,000 entries from 183 countries, Belgian photographer Frederik Buyckx was named Photographer of the Year, winning $25,000 for his series ‘Whiteout’. Russian photographer Alexander Vinogradov was awarded best single shot. On the night, important British photographer Martin Parr was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to Photography prize. Katelyn Wang scooped the Youth Photographer of the year prize and Michelle Daiana Gentile won Student Photographer of the Year. Until 7 May.

Pictured: The Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA, by Martin Parr, 1994; from the 'Small World' series. © Martin Parr, Magnum Photos, Rocket Gallery

Writer: James Warren

Push hour
20 April

Today is the opening preview of Michael Wolf’s latest exhibition 'Tokyo Compression', at Blue Lotus Gallery in Hong Kong. Wolf’s work focuses on Tokyo's subway windows, taking interest in the faces and figures within the frame. Each portrait is an all too familiar sight for inner-city commuters, highlighting just how intense and overcrowded the Tokyo subway can be. Whether the viewer has been in a similar situation or not, it's hard not to empathize with the poor squashed souls that Wolf has captured so descriptively, faces gleaming with frustration. Until 13 May.

Pictured: Tokyo Compression #9, Japan, by Michael Wolf, 2010- 13. Courtesy of Blue Lotus Gallery, Hong Kong

Keen eye
19 April

It's your last week to visit the 'Watched! Surveillance, Art & Photography' exhibition at C/O Berlin. Themed on social media channels, the exhibition showcases how we leave ourselves open to surveillance in today’s society, through photography and film. Digital technologies such as facial recognition, 'lifelogging' and Google Street View are all tools for experimentation within the show. Exhibiting artists include Ai Weiwei, Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin. Until 23 April.

Pictured: Overexposed, from a series of unauthorised photos of NSA, CIA and FBI officials found on social media, by Paolo Cirio, 2015. © Paolo Cirio

Writer: James Warren

Still life
18 April

Most known for his photographic work of still lifes, flowers, his 'Veronica cloths' and portraits, John Stewart, who was born in London in December 1919, sadly passed away on 10 March 2017. Beginning his career working within his family business, he was then drafted into the British Army. Two and a half years into his punishing six year consignment, he was captured by the Japanese in Singapore and was subsequently marched through Malaysia, Thailand to Burma. The next three years of Stewart's life were spent building the Burma-Siam railway as a Prisoner of War. Many didn't return home. But Stewart made it back to London, eventually settling down to start a family with New York Times writer Natacha Dorfman. In 1951, Stewart bought a Leica camera and began taking photographs of Matisse, Picasso and Braque in their studios. It wasn't long before he was offered photographic work in New York from Alexei Brodovitch for Fortune, Look and eventually Vogue.

Pictured: Portrait of John Stewart with his artwork ‘Morandi’, Paris, 1974

Writer: James Warren

Love life
13 April

Kyotographie International Photography Festival returns for its fifth edition in Kyoto, Japan on 15 April 2017. This year’s theme for the festival is ‘Love’, includes work that explores feelings and ideas curated around subsets such as social context, religious views, environment, history or geographical region. The exhibition exlores how love is a vital part of humanity – and how love can in turn lead to hate and war, too. Artists such as Robert Mapplethorpe, René Groebli, Nobuyoshi Araki and Arnold Newman will have their work displayed at the festival. Until 14 May.

Pictured: A Desktop Love, 2016, by Nobuyoshi Araki. Image courtesy of Nobuyoshi Araki and Taka Ishii Gallery

Writer: James Warren

#AiWeiwei
12 April

Tomorrow, Ai Weiwei’s latest exhibition opens at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago. Weiwei, known for his ability to jump the barrier between art and politics, will exhibit over 25,000 photographic prints, spanning his early diary-style photographs to his current social media activism. Amongst the extensive array of works, featured photo series include ‘Weiweicam’, ‘Photographs of Surveillance’, ‘New York Photographs’ and ‘Iphone photos’. Fans of Weiwei can expect intimate and far-ranging insight into the artist’s practise. Until 2 July.

Pictured: Ai Weiwei, New York Photographs, 1983-1993, Lower East Side Restaurant, 1988

Ancient world
11 April

The Milan-mania of late is not just centred on design. There's plenty to get excited about in the Milanese art world too. Currently on view at Grimaldi Studio Leagle, is Domingo Milella’s latest exhibition, ‘Visioni da un Mondo Antico’. The work exhibited encounters ancient sites of the Mediterranean. Milella is particularly interested in the relationship between culture and nature, exploring the moment a city turns into suburbia, or (more conceptually), areas where life borders on death. Cemeteries at the edge of towns, hidden caves on a coastline, tombstones scattered at the edge of a village. Until the end of April.

Pictured: #0591. Dalyan Kaunos, Turkey, by Domingo Milella, 2011. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: James Warren

Tech talk
10 April

Philippe Braquenier’s exhibition 'Palimpsest' is currently on display at The Ravestijn Gallery in Amsterdam. The exhibition explores how face-to-face activity is becoming less common, while communication via technology proliferates. Through his work, Braquenier investigates this shift, with a particular interest in the relationship between natural landscapes and urban infrastructures. Until 20 May.

Pictured: Palimpsest / Wikileaks – Stockholm, Sweden, by Philippe Braquenier. Courtesy of the artist

Heading south
7 April

Mark Steinmetz’s latest exhibition ‘South’ is currently on at the Yancey Richardson Gallery in New York. The exhibition explores the south eastern United States - where Steinmetz grew up - documenting the raw and ordinary everyday. He captures the happenstance and the habitual, giving quiet moments a sense of drama and intrigue. Until 13 May.

Pictured: Athens, GA (girl on hood of car), by Mark Steinmetz, 1996. Courtesy of the artist and Yancey Richardson Gallery

Writer: James Warren

Youth movement
6 April

Today the Michael Hoppen Gallery presents 'Untethered', two photographic series from Joseph Szabo and Sian Davey. Created 50 years a part, both projects explore the vulnerability, beauty and ambivalence of youth. Szabo started his photography project ‘Teenage’ when he was an art teacher in the 70s, photographing the students he taught and building mutual respect with them. Davey’s project ‘Martha’ explores her daughter's tumultuous teenage years. She documents the transition from child to adult, showing how a person can behave when free of social expectations; when they are 'Untethered'.  Until 20 May.

Pictured: Tony and the Bar Boys, by Joseph Szabo, 1975. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: James Warren

Pretty in pink
5 April

Chris Rhodes has just launched his first solo exhibition with the Webber Represents Gallery Space. Even though Rhodes' images are absent of people, a human presence is ever-present within his work, if only as a privation, through objects and colours. For this showcase, Rhodes has collected images from eight countries across Europe and South America, showing the cultural differences (but more often similarities) found in communities along the way.

Pictured: Untitled, by Chris Rhodes. © the artist

Writer: James Warren

Subconscious trip
4 April

Currently on show at Hamiltons Gallery is Roger Ballen’s latest project, 'The Theatre of Apparitions'. Taking the viewer on a journey into their subconscious, Ballen conveys the forms of life, dreams, the imagination and memories within his theatrical mechanics. The images, which include both human and animal forms throughout, show ancient shamanistic visions and sacred symbols that Ballen believes are embedded through evolution. Ballen was inspired when visiting an abandoned prison where he found drawn figures made by one of the prisoners which led him to create his work. Until 21 April.

Pictured: Face Off, by Roger Ballen, 2010. Courtesy of the artist and Hamiltons Gallery

Writer: James Warren

Photo-synthesis
3 April

Nature Morte New Delhi presents the exhibition 'Where the Flowers Still Grow' by photographer Bharat Sikka. The exhibition focuses on portraits of young men who were shot within the 'colossal grandeur of an unspoiled nature'. The men being photographed in the series look directly at Sikka’s camera, making its presence known in the wilderness as the lens looks directly back at its subject. Sikka also documents what is found within their homes, and what is ultimately left. Until 27 May.

Pictured: Kashmir Men, by Bharat Sikka. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: James Warren

Photographic odyssey
31 March

Today, Yan Wang Preston’s new exhibition ‘Mother River’ opens as part of a touring exhibition from Impressions Gallery and Gallery of Photography, Ireland. Preston documents the journey across the 6,211 km river Yangtze in China photographing every 100 km over a four year period. Throughout this time, she trecked the remote high Tibetan Plateau through to the rivers end at Shanghai, taking the viewer with her on a fascinating journey of today's China. Showing at Impressions Gallery, Bradford until 26 June.

Pictured: Y40: 3,900km from the river source, by Yan Wang Preston. Courtesy of the artist and Impressions Gallery

Writer: James Warren

Shaping the future
30 March

From today, 24 young artists will exhibit their photography at the Red Hook Labs in Brooklyn presented by Foam Talent, as part of The Photography Show. From over 1494 submissions, from 75 countries and six continents, 24 photographers were chosen to feature within the show and in the annual Foam Magazine Talent Issue. British photographer Juno Calypso will be exhibiting her work alongside photographers Jack Davison, Nico Krijno and other talented photographers. The Red Hook Labs offer a more interactive involvement that the average gallery - conceptual curatorial approaches include colour photographic constructions and chemical experiments. Until 16 May.

Pictured: Rosa Berberifolia - simplicity, by Leo Maguire, 2012; from the series 'Rosa', 2011-15. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: James Warren

Show time
29 March

The Photography Show, in its all-encompassing glory, starts tomorrow in a new location - Pier 94 in New York - with more than 115 galleries from across the globe exhibiting work. Contemporary, modern and 19th century photography will all be included, as well as photo-based art, video and new media. Over a dozen AIPAD (Association of International Photography Art Dealers) talks will be taking place, as well as new projects including portrait making with the world’s first digital camera and an outdoor video projection. (Phew!). Until 2 April.

Pictured: Julie Cockburn, Mountain Lake, by Julie Cockburn, 2017. Courtesy the artist and The Photographers Gallery, London

Writer: James Warren

Globetrotter
28 March

Scarlett Hooft Graafland’s latest exhibition ‘Discovery’ opens tomorrow at Flowers Gallery in London. The exhibition documents her site-specific performances and interventions from remote spots across the globe like the Canadian Arctic and Madagascar. Intrigued by nature’s innate strangeness, Graafland explores the mythologies and stories of a place. The show features a recent project that documents Graafland’s travels to the South Pacific Ocean’s Vanuatu and Lima islands, following a path set by Captain James Cook in the 18th century. Until 29 April.

Pictured: Still life with Camel, by Scarlett Hooft Graafland, 2016. Courtesy of the artist and Flowers Gallery London and New York

Writer: James Warren

Stolen moments
27 March

Currently on at Camera Work in Berlin is Thomas Billhardt’s exhibition ‘Ein Leben in Bildern’, celebrating the photographer’s 80th birthday and looking back over his lifework. The retrospective includes 100 images that best represent Billhardt’s oeuvre. A member of both the German Society of Photography and the German Association of Journalists, Billhardt was a renowned artist and an industry-leading photojournalist. He has travelled to over 49 countries capturing warzones, social events, music, and portraiture - each with his signature sensitivity and warmth. Until 6 May.

Pictured: Alexanderplatz, Berlin, by Thomas Billhardt, 1960. Courtesy the artist

Writer: James Warren

Global habitats
24 March

This week, the UK’s largest photography festival, Format returns to Derby for its 8th edition, hosting 30, wide-reaching exhibitions in unconventional locations. From cathedral bell towers, abandoned Georgian schools to recording studios, Format provides a platform for both emerging and established artists. Fitting to it's quirky gallery spaces, this year’s festival revolves around the theme of ‘habitat’ in it’s many guises: landscape, environment, migration, ideas of home and how industry, technology, conflict, migration and climate are changing our built environments. Expect moving, international work encompassing a plethora of viewpoints.

Pictured: from the series ‘The song of sparrows in a hundred days of summer’, by Sohrab Hura. © the artist and Magnum

Writer: James Warren

Closing the circuit
23 March

‘No secrets! Images of Surveillance’ opens at the Münchner Stadtmuseum tomorrow, featuring photographs, videos, paintings, posters and installations. The exhibition documents the history of surveillance, through images that expose the nuances between government identity checking and a ‘CCTV state’. Sebastian Arlt, Michael Grudziecki, Jens Masmann and Thomas Meyer have all contributed work to the showcase. Each aims, in their own unique way, to attack, reflect or champion modern day surveillance. A particular highlight is a section entitled ‘No Secrets! The allure and dangers of digital self-surveillance’, which explores how we increasingly use social media and the internet to leave a digital, multimedia self-portrait. Until 16 July.

Pictured: Jens Klein from the Mailbox series (photos from personal files held in the Stasi archives), 2012. Courtesy of Jens Klein

Writer: James Warren

Set the stage
22 March

Closing on 1 April, it’s nearing the last chance to see Alex Majoli’s moving exhibition ‘Skēnē’ at the Howard Greenberg Gallery in New York. Taking its name from the ancient Greek word for theatre backdrops, the exhibition explores the thin veil between fact and fiction. With dramatic irony, the people in Majoli’s images become actors in their own lives – dramatized characters against atmospheric tableaus. Taken between 2010 and 2016, Majoli’s diverse array of harrowing scenes (from refugees, to police guards, to funerals) were captured cross-continent, in Congo, Egypt, Greece, Germany, India, China and Brazil.

Pictured: Scene #0435, Republic of Congo, by Alex Majoli, 2013. Courtesy of Howard Greenberg Gallery

Writer: James Warren

Seeing is believing
21 March

Tomorrow sees the opening of South African photographer Nico Krijno’s first UK solo exhibition. ‘The Fluid Right Edge’, on view at Beetles + Huxley in London, explores deconstruction within the still life genre, looking into form, material and the idea of truthfulness. Krijno focuses on temporary and unstable subjects within his work, which he digitally manipulates into the visually flummoxing images on display. Twenty-one images will be shown at the exhibition, which features work from his series ‘New Gestures’ and ‘Generator’. Until 22 April.

Pictured: Flowers from my brother, 2016. © Nico Krijno. Courtesy Beetles + Huxley

Writer: James Warren

Spine tingler
20 March

Currently on view at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona and Fundació Foto Colectania, the exhibition ‘Photobook Phenomenon’ looks into the role of the photobook within today’s society. Featuring over 500 diverse examples, ‘Photobook Phenomenon’ is an epic. Nine international curators have teamed up to tackle the extensive showcase, choosing to sub-divide the exhibition into seven sections, including ‘books on protests and propaganda’ and ‘Japanese photobooks’. Ways of exhibiting a photobook are also addressed, through interactive photography experiences. Until 27 August.

Pictured: Terribly Awesome Photo Books, by Erik Kessels, 2017

Writer: James Warren

Boundary breaker
17 March

Daniel Castro Garcia, the winner of this year’s British Journal of Photography International Photography Award, is currently exhibiting his first solo show, ‘Foreigner’, at TJ Boulting in London. The work on display depicts the photographer's travels across Europe, to the areas that are most affected by refugees and migrants – Italy, North Africa, Greece, Turkey and Calais. The project takes a personal approach to issues surrounding migration. Garcia aimed to learn something about the people he came across: in the main room, intimate portraits are shown of people that he met in Sicily, Greece and France. The second half of the exhibition sees Garcia's first foray into the moving image, through short documentary interviews. Until 8 April.

Pictured: Aly Gadiaga, by Daniel Castro Garcia, 2015. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: James Warren

Road trip
16 March

Tonight is the opening of William Eggleston’s exhibition Los Alamos at Foam Fotografiemuseum in Amsterdam. The show follows a journey Eggleston took with curator and writer William Hopps in the 1960s, kicking off in the photographer's hometown of Memphis. We retrace the duo's footsteps across New Orleans and Santa Monica Pier, with pit-stops in Las Vegas and Los Alamos, New Mexico. All the while, a picture of 1960s Americana emerges through nostalgic images of traffic signs, run-down buildings and diner interiors. Until June 2017.

Pictured: Memphis, by William Eggleston, 1965 – 1968, from series Los Alamos, 1965 – 1974. Courtesy of the Eggleston Artistic Trust and David Zwirner, New York/London

Writer: James Warren

Stories from South Africa
15 March

Johannesburg’s Goodman Gallery has been transformed into a multi-screen cinema installation, courtesy of photographic artist Mikhael Subotzky, whose challenging work deals in post-Apartheid South Africa. Each screen focuses on the travels of a fictional protagonist – a 19th century British settler arriving at Eastern Cape, a South African man in the 21st century heading to Australia, and the third screen more abstractly addresses the future of the white male body. An unsettling and starkly beautiful piece, WYE tackles white guilt with demanding complexity. Until 1 April.

Pictured: WYE, Film Still 3, by Mikhael Subotzky, 2016. Courtesy of the artist

Anderson & Low’s ‘Voyages’
14 March

‘Voyages’ – a new exhibition opening today – sees the Science Museum’s model ship collection reimagined by fine art photographers Anderson & Low – aka Jonathan Anderson and Edwin Low. The duo are known for their attention to lighting, form, concept and printing, and their images add a new narrative to the pieces, giving the old objects a modern feel. Anderson & Low have shot the models through their semi-transparent protective coverings, giving the set a chimerical, soft-focus aesthetic. Until 25 June.

Pictured: Untitled by Anderson & Low. Courtesy of the artists.

Writer: James Warren

Child's play
13 March

The work of such prestigious artists as Wolfgang Tillmans, Mona Hatoum and Eddie Peake (and more) is the subject of a new exhibition at the MCA in Chicago. ‘Eternal Youth’ traverses the history of western youth culture, through the photography that captured it. Visitors confront important themes like HIV awareness and gender bending, as seen in Larry Clark’s infamous photographic series Kids. Shot in 1995 on the set of the renowned, controversial film of the same name, the series depicts a day in the life of New York's sexually prolific, morally dubious teenagers. Until 23 July.

Pictured: Untitled (KIDS), by Larry Clark, 1995. Courtesy of the artist and MCA Chicago

Writer: James Warren

Portrait of an artist
10 March

The latest exhibition from photographer Jason Schmidt opens today at A Palazzo Gallery in Brescia, Italy. The show features 23 portraits of renowned artists, from a series of over 500 photographs Schmidt has taken since 2001. Seen in their studios or installing their work, each artist is captured inside their own, highly personal world, in moments of creation. Exhibited photographs include that of Yayoi Kusama, Cindy Sherman, Jason Rhoades and Nick Cave, along with this revealing portrait of American artist Aïda Ruilova, mid-photoshoot. Until 18 March.

Pictured: Aïda Ruilova, by Jason Schmidt, 2003. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: James Warren

Press play
9 March

‘Playback: in association with Random Acts’ begins their touring exhibition at the ICA in London today. The festival and exhibition is a joint initiative between Channel 4 and Arts Council England, allowing young people aged 16–24 to showcase their filmic and photographic creativity. Each young artist must display work using the moving image – covering a range of themes including dance, animation and music. The artists have created 145 films to show at the exhibition, shown via large projections, old-school televisions and interactive spaces (among other platforms). Until 12 March.

Pictured: Check The Label, by Eno Mfon. Courtesy of the artist and Random Acts

Writer: James Warren

Mask maker
8 March

Tomorrow, the Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco will be presenting 'American Mystic', an exhibition from iconic photographer Ralph Eugene Meatyard. Best known for his grotesque masks and his experimental photography, Meatyard uses family members and friends to create figurative, symbol-laden scenes. The exhibition includes some of his most well known images as well as lesser known works, alongside notebooks and annotated volumes from the artist's personal library. A group of images from Kentucky’s Red River Gorge will also be presented at the show, which first saw life in the 1971 book The Unforeseen Wilderness. The exhibition coincides with Alexander Nemerov’s new monograph on the artist, on sale at the gallery. Until 6 May.

Pictured: Romance (N.) from Ambrose Bierce # 3, by Ralph Eugene Meatyard, 1962. © The estate of Ralph Eugene Meatyard. Courtesy of Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco.

Writer: James Warren

Timeless trinkets
7 March

The first UK solo show by hyper-realist Spanish artist Manuel Franquelo opens at the Michael Hoppen Gallery in London today. His photographic project ‘Things in a Room: An Ethnography of the Insignificant’ comprises frequently used items from his studio. Four key themes guide the work: time, memory, the subconscious and, perhaps most intriguingly, the ‘infra-ordinary’ – a term coined by thinker Georges Perec to mean something that is neither ordinary or extraordinary, banal nor exotic. The project documents such habitual objects, gathered and collected by the artist over 30 years, impersonally presented with almost scientific precision, creating a sense of detachment and timelessness. Until 12 April.

Pictured: Things in a Room (Untitled #2), by Manuel Franquelo, 2015. © the artist. Courtesy of Michael Hoppen Gallery

Writer: James Warren

Look twice
6 March

Opening tomorrow at the Skarstedt Gallery, London, ‘Double Take’ will see a re-framing, re-staging and re-presentation of photography from the 1960s through to the present day. Photographers Anne Collier, Barbara Kruger, Collier Schorr, Hank Willis Thomas, Louise Lawler, Richard Prince, Robert Heinecken, Roe Ethridge and Steven Shearer will all be featured within the exhibition. The show revolves around the theme of appropriation; with work that explores/deals with desire, race, sexuality, identity and gender, often via magazine formats and camera-less techniques (such as photograms). Until 22 April.

Pictured: Double Jess Gold, by Roe Ethridge, 2015. Courtesy the artist and Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York.

Writer: James Warren

Awards season
3 March

Yesterday, the nominees were announced for the 2017 Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, marking its 20th anniversary. This year, the shortlisted artists are more varied than ever. They include Dana Lixenberg, who will show her project ‘Imperial Courts’, based on the housing project of the same name in Watts, Los Angeles. A mainly African-American neighborhood, which has suffered significant economic problems, it seems more important than ever that a considered, three-dimensional view of this area is being represented within the international photographic community. Other nominees include Sophie Calle, Awoiska van der Molen, Taiyo Onorato and Nico Krebs. The winner will be announced on the 18 May and the exhibition will run until 11 June.

Pictured: Toussaint, by Dana Lixenberg, 1993. Courtesy of the artist and Grimm, Amsterdam

Writer: James Warren

Still life
2 March

Industry-leading still life photographer Richard Foster’s exhibition ‘Between Sense and Uncertainty’ opens at the Hospital Club in Covent Garden tomorrow, displaying his abstract and figurative images for the first time. Foster is most well known for his work within the luxury goods industry, where he has shot for a string of renowned magazines and brands. Unfortunately, this path was unexpectedly halted, when Foster was involved in a car accident and became paralyzed from the chest down. Inspirationally, it didn't keep him down for long, and ten years later he continues to enjoy his passion and talent for photography. This new exhibition has been created in close partnership with Back Up, a UK-based charity that supports those affected by spinal cord injury. Until 5 March.

Pictured: Dahlias, by Richard Foster. Courtesy the artist and Hospital Club London

Writer: James Warren

Flower power
1 March

‘Between Blossoms’ is a new exhibition opening tomorrow at Flowers Gallery, New York from Chinese born photographer Shen Wei. The show explores his journey across the United States, Europe and Asia, documenting the changing of landscapes, while maintaining influences from Chinese art. It’s ‘inspired by my dreams of the unknown and by the mysteries that fascinate me,’ Wei explains. ‘I find these fantasies hinted at in the reality that surrounds me; a touch of melodrama here, a hint of seduction there.’ His process is to wait for the perfect light or sense of movement – in a kind of meditation - creating the most suggestive images.

Pictured: Finding a leaf, by Shen Wei, 2014. © the artist. Courtesy Flowers Gallery London New York

Writer: James Warren

Ren Hang: 1987–2017
28 February

The Chinese photographer Ren Hang has passed away, his gallerist has confirmed. He was 29. Hang was a self-taught artist, most frequently lauded for his nude photographs of friends within natural environments and considered China's answer to Ryan McGinley. Although his images proved divisive in his home country, Hang's work was widely acclaimed internationally. An ambitious and controversial figure, his nascent influence remains irrefutable.

Pictured: Untitled, 2016. © Ren Hang. Courtesy Stieglitz19

Writer: James Warren

Bell meets Smith
27 February

Presenting the photographs of musical icon Patti Smith alongside those of Sussex modernist Vanessa Bell, may seem like an unlikely combination. Not so, says co-curator of an exhibition called 'Legacy', currently on display at Dulwich Picture Gallery in London. 'Both women had fierce, creative, free spirits,' explains Milroy, 'and both mix art, love, and life.' But their connection was more than just incidental. Patti Smith has repeatedly visited Charlston, Vanessa Bell's home, taking pictures of her possessions, and those of other modernists in the Sussex area, particularly Bell's husband Duncan Grant and her sister Virginia Woolf. These haunting black and white polaroids capture a lingering imprint of life in the Bloomsbury group – as well as revealing just how much their pioneering work influenced that of Patti Smith. Until 4 June.

Pictured: Paint brushes, in Duncan Grant’s studio, 2008. © Patti Smith. Courtesy of the artist and Robert Miller Gallery

Writer: Elly Parsons

Homeward bound
24 February

'Searching for Ghosts' - a new exhibition at the V&A Museum of Childhood - documents modern life in east London's tower blocks. Young residents of the Boundary estate were invited to explore the areas' history, along with people who have lived there for up to 95 years. With the help of artist Tom Hunter, the unlikely team uneathered fascinating, intergenerational stories, the results of which are displayed in this moving and important photographic montage. Until 21 January 2018.

Pictured: Arnold Circus Chalk, by Tom Hunter, 2016. Courtesy the artist and Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Writer: Elly Parsons

Bold statement
23 February

Following on from their acclaimed exhibition last year in New York, writer Bret Easton Ellis and artist Alex Israel have collaborated again for part two, at London's Gagosian gallery. For their monumental, cinema screen-sized images, Israel picked out iStock photographs - the more generic the better - which Easton Ellis then overlaid with suggestive text. We'd expect nothing less from the bolshy Less Than Zero author. His clipped humour and clarity is only exaggerated by the incongruous, brilliantly paired photo backdrops. Due to their gargantuan size, even Gagosian's extensive space can't hold all of the works at once. They'll be swapped out at regular intervals, like billboards rolling with rotating, highly imaginative, advertisements. Until 18 March.

Pictured: 50 Million People, by Alex Israel and Bret Easton Ellis, 2016. © the artists. Courtesy of iStock

Writer: Elly Parsons

Rainbow nation
21 February

Blue is the latest entry in a new series of colour-coded publications by London-based photographers Luke Norman and Nik Adams, co-founders of the Wandering Bears studio (here working under their eponymous Luke & Nik moniker). 'Blue represents the second installment in a series of nine self published books,' states the duo. 'Each publication focuses on a unique new theme, and what the photographers [Luke & Nik] are inspired by at that current time – using the printing format to create something physical to look back on over the years.' Blue costs £15 and is available from Luke & Nik's website.

Writer: Tom Howells

Photography by letters
20 February

Currently on view at the V&A's Museum of Childhood (in London's Bethnal Green), 'ABC Photography' is an exhibition version of Jan von Holleben's book of the same name, featuring text by Monte Packham and published by Berlin's Tarzipan Books. The Technicolor book is devised to act as a child's introduction to the broad world of photography. Featuring works by artists as auspicious and ascendant as Nan Goldin, Peter Lindbergh, Martin Parr, Wolfgang Tillmans, Sarah Illenberger and Simon Roberts (and many more), the show applies each letter of the alphabet to a different element of photography (black and white, exposure, imagine, time and so on), exploring this with an adjacent image. Until 4 June.

Pictured: Ground Bomb, by Simon Roberts, 2002

Writer: Tom Howells

Tree of life
17 February

This month, Webber Gallery presents 'The Land of the Day Before', a new exhibition by photographer and northern-England native Theo Simpson. Inspired by the industrial heritage of the area he grew up in – and the complex engineering processes that surrounded him – Simpson employs a combination of materials, layered and reimagined. He cuts out magazine and newspaper articles, recreating and interpreting them digitally, 'exposing the fabric of their existence'. Simpson admires architects such as Rodney Gordon and Owen Luder, taking inspiration from their work and weaving it into his own. This interest in industry and architecture also informs Simpson's subject matter, which revolves around ruins, architectural sites, and mechanical materials. Until 3 March.

Pictured: Of the parts, of the hole v.I, by Theo Simpson. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: Rosie Mackay

Wonder years
16 February

Described as being 'one of the most accomplished recorders of the American experience', Harold Feinstein is being honoured and recognised for his immeasurable talent and legacy. The photographer was considered a prodigy, having started photographing his subjects in his native Coney Island at only age 15 and becoming the youngest person to be honoured by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, after having his work purchased for the permanent collection. Highly celebrated for his Coney Island series, his body of work extends well after these early photographs, a large collection of nudes, portraits, still life and war photography are indicative of his talent and genius. 'The Early Years (1940s-1950s): Contagious Optimism', is being shown at Paris' Galerie Thierry Bigaignon, a retrospective of Feinstein's earlier work, a selection of black and white photographs, preparing for his 'renaissance.' Until 30 April.

Pictured: Harold Feinstein, Boy with Chalk Numbers, 1955. Courtesy of Galerie Thierry Bigaignon

Writer: Rosie Mackay

Alternative architectures
15 February

In 1960s LA, a group of young architects, photographers and psychologists formed a dynamic media collective called Environmental Communications. They traveled all over the world (from Tokyo, to the American Southwest to LA) mapping communes and pioneering structures along the way, in a series of hundreds of thousands of 35mm photographs. The group then infiltrated slide libraries in universities with this extensive catalogue, brimming with alternative architectural practices. These archival images are the subject of a new survey at LAXArt gallery until 1 April. As back then, when the aim was to encourage students to think outside the box, the images remind us to explore the world's rich cache of left-field, under the radar creative work.

Writer: Elly Parsons

Deep south
14 February

'Representing Place: Photographs of Appalachia', conceived by Stacy Kranitz, is the debut show from the Tracey Morgan Gallery in North Carolina. The exhibition documents evolving photographic depictions of the rural Appalachian regions of the United States. Many earlier photographic portrayals of the expansive area (from the likes of Bayard Wootten and Doris Ulmann) led problematically to it being perceived as an 'unseemly' place. Photographers such as William Gedney, Susan Lipper, Rob Amberg and Builder Levy demystified the area, by immersing themselves within its communities and building relationships with locals, creating an intimacy that shines through their images. The exhibition concludes with contemporary talent like Ken Abbott and Sarah Hoskins, who add to the long documentary legacy of the area. Until 5 March.

Pictured: Doug Wallin Sowing Tobacco Bed, Madison County, NC, by Rob Amberg, 1978. Courtesy of the artist and Tracey Morgan Gallery, NC

Writer: Rosie Mackay

World view
13 February

The photographer Thomas Albdorf poses the question: 'If countless images of a specific place are readily available, has one been there already?' This is the theme of New York's Deli Gallery's newest one person exhibition. Drawing inspiration from Yosemite National Park – one of the most photographed places on earth – 'General View' looks at the idea of recording the same place when innumerable photographs already exist. Albdorf believes that a photograph doesn't begin and end with the release of a shutter; rather, that the analog negative is merely a blank canvas for myriad possible outcomes. The series also focuses on Albdorf's interest in elements of Google Street View, in particular its glitches and flaws. He re-appropriates these images into his own work, before and after the photographic process, creating a totally unique work. Until 5 March.

Pictured: I Made This For You, by Thomas Albdorf, 2016, from 'General View'. Courtesy Deli Gallery, New York

Writer: Rosie Mackay

Post-truth pictures
10 February

This month sees the inception of 'Conspiracy Week', a ten-day event at The Photographers' Gallery, exploring how conspiracy theories impact politics and the media. 'Divisive Moments' is an exhibition included in the programme, comprising talks, film screenings and online resources. The exhibition draws on the extensive research of the foremost UFO pioneer, Lt Colonel Wendelle C Stevens (1923 - 2010). Through his documents, tape-recordings, photographs of 'alien' life form and testimonials, we learn about some of the most prolific 20th century cases of UFO's and abductions, most notably ‘Abduction at Botucatu’ (the story of a Brazilian man and his son being repeatedly abducted by aliens). In this post truth world, 'Divisive Moments' seems all the more fascinating. Until 19 February.

Pictured: From the UFO Photo Archives of Wendelle Stevens. Collection of Gordon MacDonald

Writer: Rosie Mackay

Alternative living
9 February

'The Riverbed' is The Architectural Association Gallery's newest exhibition, beginning 18 March. The spotlight is on a series by photographer Ben Murphy, which has taken a decade to complete. The collection focuses on the 'counter-cultural communities' that dwell in makeshift homes in a remote area of south east Spain. These people have completely rejected the conventions of society, values and the 'norm'. Murphy deliberately excludes its inhabitants, wanting to concentrate instead on what their absence represents and how their identities are conveyed through these makeshift dwellings. Murphy says of his work that he 'aims to consider values and expectations of home, society and notions of freedom, while drawing out some of the inevitable paradoxes, compromises and entanglements inherent in rejecting the dominant system when trying to live an alternative life on the margins of the mainstream.' Between 18–31 March and 19 April–27 May.

Pictured: Morgan (Andalucia, Spain, 2015). © the artist. Courtesy of the Architectural Association Gallery

Writer: Rosie Mackay

Island life
8 February

Until 19 February, London's Roaming Projects presents Mercury, a body of work by artist Lewis Chaplin. The ongoing series captures the archipelago Tristan de Cunha – a British territory, active volcano site, and the most remote inhabited island in the world – situated in the South Atlantic. Over six years, Chaplin has created a series of images with an ethnographic approach, that convey the Island's isolation, while giving the viewer a glimpse of its tiny community. We see alternate representations of the island, the fantastical to the disconcerting, which call into question the impact that photographic images have on readings of landscape and place. This project spans many different mediums – photographs, film, books and installations – each fuelled by Chaplin's interest in anthropology.

Pictured: Production shot of Untitled (Southampton), by Lewis Chaplin, 2015

Top photography
7 February

Beginning this week at Rotterdam's LP2 is 'Haute Photographie', a new fair bringing together a unique host of international galleries from Paris, Berlin, Antwerp, Stockholm and New York, to participate in a diverse group exhibition. Over 50 international artists will show at the fair, presenting a wide range of genres under the overall banner of photography, from works by estimable pioneers of the medium to those by exciting new talents. Highlights include Albert Watson's Golden Boy, New York City and Ruth Orkin's American Girl in Italy, one of the most iconic images of the 1950s. Photography asides, the fair will offer a wider programme of lectures, tours and workshops. 'Haute Photographie' takes place between from 8–12 February at LP2 Las Palmas, Rotterdam.

Pictured: David Bowie, by Frank W Ockenfels III, c.1990s. Courtesy the artist and Kahmann Gallery.

Patti meets Piotr
6 Febraury

Released this month, Push The Sky Away, is the first major publication from photographer Piotr Zbierski. Presented as a triptych, the book comprises a series of photographs that explore human existence through cultural codes, symbology and ritual. Zbierski said photography 'is the only medium with a directness that lets me show the existence of the imagination in the real world'. This is translated through his focus on faces and expressions of authentic feeling, captured when people are caught off guard. Depicting a wide variety of locations, with particular emphasis on Eastern Europe and India, the book also includes a poem specially written by Patti Smith in response to Zbierski's work.

Pictured: Untitled, from the series 'Love Has To Be Reinvented', by Piotr Zbierski, 2012. © The artist. Courtesy of Dewi Lewis Publishing

Writer: Rosie Mckay

Embracing tradition
3 February

Today's sees the inception of the 2017 edition of the prestigious Chobi Mela International Festival of Photography in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This year's theme is 'Transition'. Featured in the festival will be rare and intimate historic photographs of the last ten years of Gandhi's life, by his grand-nephew, Kanu Gandhi; as well as work by artists such as Stanley Greene, Cristina de Middel, Debashish Chakrabarty and Robert Zhao Renhui – a diverse showcase of work by photographers from very different artistic backgrounds. Chobi Mela has also commissioned ten local artists as fellows of the festival, striving to support independent projects with a freedom rarely seen in formal festival contexts. Until 16 February.

Pictured: Stardust, by Debashish Chakrabarty. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: Rosie Mackay

Human trace
2 Febraury

Until 11 March, New York's Jack Shainman Gallery will display 'Heat Maps', a new body of work from award winning photographer Richard Mosse. This new series, set in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, tackles the ongoing refugee crisis. With a novel approach, Mosse uses a military grade thermal imaging camera, which can detect human bodies from 30.3 km away. Primarily used for surveillance and in combat, Mosse's use of this medium somewhat dehumanises his subjects, portraying them as a 'mere biological trace'; a fitting metaphor for the reality that millions of refugees and migrants are facing daily. These photographs reveal a harsh, ongoing struggle, showing the fragility of human life. Each photograph is made up of almost 1000 smaller frames, painstakingly blended into one panoramic shot. Alongside this series, a selection of smaller framed video stills from Mosse's new video installation Incoming, will be premiered at the Curve Gallery in London's Barbican Centre between 15 February and 23 April 2017.

Pictured: To be titled (film still from 'Incoming'), Richard Mosse, 2016. © Richard Mosse. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

Writer: Rosie Mackay

Wit and wisdom
1 Febraury

Robert Frank once said of fellow photographer Richard Gordon (who passed away in 2012), he 'loved photography too much'. New York's Gitterman Gallery have used this quote as the title of a new exhibition, comprising Gordon's early works. The selection of vintage black and white images were taken primarily in New York in the 1970s. Often witty, they convey Gordon's dry sense of humour. Despite their levity, the images have strong formal elements, and paint a picture of an artist who studied the greats. Indeed, Gordon references the work of Eugène Atget, Walker Evans, Robert Frank and Helen Levitt, citing them all as inspirations. Until 1 April.

Pictured: Santa Cruz, by Richard Gordon, 1972-78. Courtesy of Gitterman Gallery

Writer: Rosie Mackay

Rose bowl
31 January

'Changing Landscapes' is an ambitious photographic research project by young artist, Barbara Rossi, who documents landscape transformations and urbanisation along Egypt's Red Sea coast, investigating how natural and man made environments interact. After winning the 2016 Movin' Up grant for the mobility of young artists in Italy, Rossi created this series of otherworldly images. She never intended to take documentary photographs, but believed the context of these images were extremely important sociologically. The project, taking place through her travels from the Suez to the Sudanese border, conveys the contrast between convention and modernity.

Pictured: Changing Landscape 1, Sokhna, Egypt, by Barbara Rossi. Courtesy of the artist

Memorable moments
30 January

Diane Arbus' writings and photographs are among the most distinctive of our time. 'In the beginning', currently on show at San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art, showcases images that would come to define Arbus as an iconic, not to mention transgressive, American photographer, taken over the first seven years of her career (1956–1971). A New York native, Arbus used her hometown and its citizens as rich subject matter, capturing raw and provocative images of the hidden areas of the city. This will be the first time many of these images have been displayed to the public. Until 30 April.

Pictured: Jack Dracula at a bar, New London, Conn., by Diane Arbus, 1961. Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. © The Estate of Diane Arbus, LLC

Writer: Rosie Mackay

Back to black
27 Janaury

Tonight, Ingrid Deuss Gallery in Antwerp open their ‘Vulnerable Dimensions’ exhibition, featuring the work of fashion photographers and Wallpaper* contributors Sofie Middernacht and Maarten Alexander. Here, the duo present a series of personal works. Each photograph, a powerful portrait, is coated in a high gloss resin, which distorts the image depending on what angle it’s viewed from. Front on, the image appears vibrantly clear, from a right angle, facial detail fades to mysterious black. Until 11 March.

Pictured: Vulnerable Dimensions, by Sofie Middernacht and Maarten Alexander, 2017. Courtesy the artists

Snake mask
26 January

Opening this Friday at Foam in Amsterdam, ‘Naked/Nude’ is a new exhibition by poet and artist Ren Hang. A mix of pure beauty and nature is captured through the theme of bare bodies and small animals. Poetically hung photographs of human skin, fish scales and peacock feathers are overwhelmingly sensual; Hang's subjects are reconstituted as sculptural forms. Though the scenes are often staged, he incorporates natural elements such as fruits and plants to frame the unusually posed models. Hang uses cheap digital cameras with a fill-in flash, eschewing delicate tones for harsh, colourful surfaces.

Pictured: Untitled, by Ren Hang, 2013. © the artist. Courtesy of Stieglitz19

Writer: Liberty Dye

Forbidden fruit
25 January

'Lina Scheynius perceives the world by turning her gaze upon herself. Her body is the seismograph by which she measures the world. She encounters herself by exploring her body. It tells her what she senses. And the camera translates,' so says Simon Maurer, the curator of Scheynius' new body of work that is now on view at Christophe Guye Galerie in Zurich. Scheynius’ intimate photographs subtly convey the artist’s personal and physical space. Despite the array of skin on display, Scheynius' delicate, sensitive approach takes the focus away from sexuality. To complement the exhibition, the artist has produced an equally evocative publication, Book 09. Until 15 April.

Pictured: Me in London Summer 2015, Lina Scheynius, 2015

American prospects
24 January

Joel Sternfeld's 'Colour Photographs: 1977–1988' is a new solo exhibition at London’s Beetles + Huxley, the photographer's first UK show in nearly 15 years. Sternfeld’s exhibition is an ode to the lineage of American documentary photography that was originally established by Walker Evans in the 1930s and continued by Robert Frank in the mid-20th century. Highlighting important social issues that still occur in the modern day, Sternfeld demonstrates the reality of American suburbia in a serious manner but still manages to capture surreal moments in the lives of his subjects. Alongside 30 chromogenic and vintage dye transfer prints, the collection will include previously unseen photographs from his archive. The exhibition is on view from 27 January – 18 February.

Pictured: Kansas City, Kansas, May 1983. Copyright Joel Sternfeld. Courtesy of Luhring Augustine Gallery and Beetles + Huxley Gallery

Writer: Liberty Dye

Throwing shade
23 January

Opening this Thursday at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, ‘UMBRA’ comprises photographs and multimedia works by renowned fashion photographer Viviane Sassen. The title derives from the Latin word for a shadow casted by an object, seen to dramatic effect in Justus-Y (2013), pictured here. The exhibition is presented as an installation piece formed of eight chapters, and features accompanying poems from young Dutch writer Maria Barnas. In this sense, the photographer takes great interest in literary traditions, while directly referencing the abstract artistic works of Kazimir Malevich, Piet Mondrian, and Mark Rothko.

Writer: Liberty Dye

Trace evidence
20 January

Milan's Lisson Gallery today opens it's first solo exhibition from photographic duo Broomberg & Chanarin, who are known for their powerful, abstract perspectives on war and conflict. Though their work is often absent of humans, it presents a thorough and political investigation into the human condition. In the images, we observe humanity from the imprints that people have left behind - through arranged compositions of discarded objects and lost, prized possessions. Until 17 March.

Pictured: London suicide bombers (L-R) Hasib Hussain, Germaine Lindsay, Mohammed Sidique Khan and Shehzad Tanweer are..., by Broomberg & Chanarin, 2011. © Broomberg & Chanarin. Courtesy of Lisson Gallery

Writer: Elly Parsons

In circulation
19 January

This weekend marks the opening of the seventh edition of Circulations contemporary photography festival. Dedicated to promoting European photography, as well as providing a springboard for emerging artists, the two month-long series of events comprise exhibitions, workshops and competitions. Promising to be a particular highlight, Ukranian photographer Sasha Maslov's Veterans series will be on display in the Centquatre Paris. One part haunting, two parts heartening, Maslov's intimate portraits of Second World War soldiers, guards and medical workers helps to remember their stories and sacrifices, in a beautifully rendered tribute. From 21 – 5 March.

Pictured: Jack J. Diamond, Miami, Florida, by Sasha Maslov. Courtesy of the artist

Writer: Elly Parsons

Photographic success at London Art Fair
18 January

Opening today, London Art Fair welcomes Photo50, an annual group exhibition highlighting the key elements of photographic practice as a form of contemporary art. This year, 13 artists present work in response to the theme ‘Gravitas’. Expect images that play with the idea of depth and seriousness of character, on view until 22 January. The first day of the fair also sees the announcement of De’Longhi Art Projects’ Artist Prize, which has this year been awarded to Hannah Farrell, whose photographs were selected in the 2015 Wallpaper* Graduate Directory.

Pictured: Close Your Eyes and Think of England #5, by Hannah Farrell. Courtesy of Paper

Writer: Liberty Dye

All's fair
17 January

For the last eight years, the Classic Photography Fair in Los Angeles has been gradually establishing itself as the west coast destination for auctioning vintage, modern and contemporary photography. Housed in the imposing rooms of Bonhams Auction House on Sunset Boulevard, the fair caters to enthusiastic browsers as much as it does buyers. With over 20 exhibitors from across the states, Canada and Mexico, this years' fair promises to be an eclectic one - with highlights including atmospheric American portraits in the 1970's and 80's from fellow Californian gallery Joseph Bellows. The fair runs between 21 and 22 January 2017.

Pictured: South Boston, by Sage Sohier, 1982. Courtesy of the artist and Joseph Bellows Gallery

Writer: Elly Parsons

'Terrains of the body'
16 January

Opening this Wednesday at the Whitechapel Gallery, ‘Terrains of the Body’ is an expansive exhibition comprising 17 female artists each exploring the practice of women in domestic spaces and landscapes. The female subjects are revealed in such a way that portrays their individuality and identity. In addition to displaying works by renowned contemporary photographers such as Marina Abramović, Rineke Dijkstra and Nan Goldin, the show gathers work from five different continents. Until 16 April.

Pictured: Self-Portrait in Kimono with Brian, NYC, by Nan Goldin, 1983. © the artist. Photography: Lee Stalsworth. National Museum of Women in the Arts, Promised Gift of Steven Scott, Baltimore, in honour of the Tenth Anniversary of the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery

Writer: Liberty Dye

Lord Snowdon, 1930–2017
13 January

Lord Snowdon, the lauded British photographer and former husband of Princess Margaret, has died aged 86. Born Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones in 1930, he discovered his passion for portraiture at the age of 16. Snowdon subsequently became one of the country’s most respected photography, with a meticulous eye for subjects including fashion, theatre and documentary. His work was published in myriad magazines and papers, including The Daily Telegraph, Vogue and Vanity Fair. Snowdon’s marriage to Princess Margaret enabled him to document his extended royal family – notably, in official portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in 1957. His career was of palpable significance to the history of British photography, though Snowdon was also an esteemed film-maker, writer and industrial design enthusiast, and co-designed London Zoo's aviary with Cedric Price and Frank Newby.

Pictured: Yves Saint Laurent, Paris, by Lord Snowdon, 1980, from the project Snowdon Blue

Writer: Liberty Dye

Novel idea
12 January

This weekend, Francesca Maffeo Gallery in Essex welcomes a new collection of documentary photography from Richard Page, analysing the socio-political landscapes of central Spain. The exhibition takes its title - ‘The Dialogue of the Dogs’ – from Cervantes’ novel of the same name. Relating the exhibition to a work of fiction highlights Page’s belief that photography can never be completely authoritative or unbiased. Instead, Page weaves a tall tale, filled with beautifully rendered plot-holes, built on his own subjective memories and impressions of the region. Until 25 February.

Pictured: Parque de El Retiro, by Richard Page, 2016. © the artist. Courtesy of Francesca Maffeo Gallery

Writer: Liberty Dye

Warm light
11 January

A new exhibition at Robert Koch gallery in San Francisco surveys Magnum photographer Alex Webb’s snapshots of Mexico. Spanning three decades (from 1978 to 2007) the photographs are categorised by Webb’s ability to capture the deeply saturated warm light. Through Webb’s work, we walk the streets of Mexico’s social history. As the artist describes, ‘Mexican culture seems to embrace mystery’, and he channels this in his hazy, enigmatic works. Until 25 February.

Pictured: Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico, by Alex Webb, 1983/2016

Writer: Liberty Dye

A moment's notice
10 January

‘I try to be as unobtrusive as possible, looking for those moments when people are focussed in on themselves,’ says Sy Kattelson of his intimate photographs, on display at Howard Greenberg Gallery in New York from Thursday. It’s the American documentary photographer’s first solo exhibition in 20 years, comprising 45 photographs from the 1940s to 1990. Many of the later images have never before been on view. The vast date range of included works serves to highlight the continuity and prolonged focus of Kattelson’s oeuvre – not to mention his dedication to the streets of New York. Until 11 February.

Pictured: Two Men in Doorway, by Sy Kattelson, 1948. Copyright the artist. Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery

Writer: Liberty Dye

Belgian beginnings
9 January

Antwerp's Museum of Contemporary Art has gathered a collection of important images that document photography's influence over the country's wider visual culture, as well as its movements in conceptualism. ‘From Broodthaers to Braeckman: Photography in the Visual Arts in Belgium’ focuses on the creatively buoyant and diverse period between 1960 and 1990, featuring artists such as Jan Vercruysse, Jacques Lizène and, of course, Broodthaers and Braeckman themselves. Until 5 February.

Pictured: La Soupe de Daguerre, by Marcel Broodthaers, 1975. Photography: M HKA. Private collection

Writer: Liberty Dye

Deeper blue
6 January

British artist Richard Learoyd is known for his dwarfing, large scale photographs that stretch to 86 inches wide. Taken on cameras so big they need their own rooms, his super-sized portraits and landscapes are the subject of a new exhibition at Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco. Learoyd's time consuming technique affords him the unique ability to capture every detail of the foreground, while allowing the background to atmospherically fade and blur. As seen here in the almost hyper-real detail of the glassy eye, against the murky backdrop of the sea-blue wall. Until 5 March.

Pictured: Shark (deeper blue), by Richard Learoyd, 2009. © Richard Learoyd. Courtesy of Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco

Writer: Elly Parsons

Bowie's birthday
5 January

Fashion designer turned photographer Brian Duffy (who passed away in 2010) was known for creating iconic, era-defining fashion and celebrity images. Between 1972 and 1980 he focused his attention – and his lens – on David Bowie. Duffy, with his keen eye for seriously stylish documentary photography, captured the musical innovator's chameleon-like image with power, precision and influence. A new exhibition opening tomorrow at Proud Chelsea acts as a poignant retrospective to Bowie, on the anniversary of what would have been his 70th birthday. It also serves to highlight the reciprocal importance that the two characters had on each other's developing creative identities. Until 5 February.

Pictured: David Bowie – Lodger ‘Original Polaroid’ image, London 1979, by Brian Duffy. © Duffy Archive

Writer: Elly Parsons

Albers on film
3 January

MoMA New York celebrates Josef Albers' extensive, relatively unknown photocollage work in ‘One and One is Four: The Bauhaus Photocollages of Josef Albers’. Presented in both book and exhibition form, the latter sees ten newly acquired original prints on display to the public for the first time. ‘One and One is Four’ reproduces 70 prints Albers created during his tenure at the German design institution. He was a multi-faceted artist and a master of several creative disciplines, from furniture design to printmaking and painting. From 1928, Albers spent four years focusing on modernist photography, creating a body of work playing on the inexplicable yet individualised qualities of photomontage. Paired with his overarching interests in tactile design, the show reveals the seeds of Albers’ later interests in the interstices of handcraft and mechanical construction. Until 2 April.

Pictured: Paris, Eiffel Tower, by Josef Albers, August 1929/1932. Courtesy The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Writer: Liberty Dye