When it comes to art exhibitions and museums in London Town, we’re more than spoiled for choice. In fact, we’d go as far to say that our dear city has some of the best museums in the world. But we’d also argue that we’re not doing too badly on the photography exhibitions front either. From portraits capturing the lives of those in a range of African countries to photos capturing the floods, fires and natural disasters which are devastating our planet, here’s our rundown of 11 of the best photography exhibitions in London to explore this Autumn:
1. A World In Common: Contemporary African Photography
Bringing together a group of artists from a whole host of different generations, this much-anticipated photography exhibition at the Tate Modern ‘will address how photography, film, audio, and more have been used to reimagine Africa’s diverse cultures and historical narratives’. Running until January 2024, it’ll reflect aspects of the whole continent and will explore themes of spirituality, identity, urbanism and the climate emergency throughout the continent too.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at the Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG.
🚇 Nearest station is Blackfriars.
📅 Runs until January 14 2024.
🎟️ From £17.
2. Yevonde: Life and Colour
Yevonde: Life and Colour tells the story of a woman who gained freedom through photography – as she experimented with her medium and blazed a new trail for portrait photographers. Supported by the prestigious CHANEL Culture Fund, this fab new exhibition covers many of the works produced by Yevonde over a colourful sixty-year career, particularly in high-society magazines like Tatler and The Sketch, so this is one you really don’t want to miss out on.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin’s Place, London, WC2H 0HE.
🚇 Nearest station is Charing Cross.
📅 Runs until October 15 2023.
🎟️ From £15.
3. Capturing the Moment
The arrival of photography changed the course of painting forever. In this unique exhibition, you’ll be able to explore the dynamic relationship between the two mediums through some of the most iconic artworks of recent times. From the expressive paintings of Pablo Picasso and Paula Rego, to striking photographs by Hiroshi Sugimoto and Jeff Wall, you’ll see how these two distinct mediums have helped to shape each other over time at this photography exhibition, based in the Tate Modern.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at the Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG.
🚇 Nearest station is Blackfriars.
📅 Runs until January 28, 2024.
🎟️ From £20.
4. Gideon Mendel: Fire / Flood
On show in the recently launched Soho Photography Quarter (SPQ) by The Photographer’s Gallery, this exciting new cultural space presents incredible free open-air exhibitions and projections, and this exhibition showcases Mendel’s personal response to the current climate crisis. As you’d expect from the title, this timely exhibition will focus on the floods and fires which are devastating our planet. Pretty sobering stuff it has to be said.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at The Photographer’s Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies Street, London, W1F 7LW.
🚇 Nearest station is Oxford Circus.
📅 Runs until October 31 2023.
🎟️ Free.
5. Daido Moriyama: A Retrospective
Opening on October 6 at The Photographer’s Gallery, you’ll be able to gain an insight into the works of Daido Moriyama, a Japanese photographer who has used his camera to interrogate and revolutionise the way we look at the world with his dense and grainy images. The retrospective will focus on different moments of Moriyama’s vast and productive career – beginning with his early works for Japanese magazines, interest in the American occupation, and engagement with photorealism. You’ll also then be able to see his work from the 1980’s and 1990’s, which focuses more on a self-reflexive body of work.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at The Photographer’s Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies Street, London, W1F 7LW.
🚇 Nearest station is Oxford Circus.
📅 Runs until February 11 2024.
🎟️ From £6.50.
6. Hiroshi Sugimoto: Time Machine
On October 11, the Hayward Gallery will open the biggest ever retrospective on renowned Japanese photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto, one of the best art exhibitions happening in Autumn 2023. This fantastic photography exhibition will highlight Hiroshi’s playful approach to exploring the boundaries of what a photograph can contain. He is fascinated by time and loves to explore themes such as being the world’s first 16th century photographer with waxwork portraits of everyone from Henry VIII to Princess Diana, images of abandoned theatres with a long exposure of a full film being played, and his own natural history dioramas which have viewers guessing as to what’s real and what’s not…
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at The Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
🚇 Nearest station is Waterloo.
📅 Runs until January 7 2024.
🎟️ From £16.
7. Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2023
Showcasing talented young photographers, gifted amateurs and established professionals, the Taylpor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize celebrates a diverse range of images and tells the often fascinating stories behind the creation of the works. The selected images, many of which are will be on display for the first time, explore both traditional and contemporary approaches to the photographic portrait whilst capturing a range of characters, moods and locations all around the globe. You’ll be able to explore all this at the National Portrait Gallery, which is running from the beginning of November until the end of February.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at The National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin’s Place, London, WC2H 0HE.
🚇 Nearest station is Charing Cross.
📅 Runs until February 25 2024.
🎟️ From £8.50.
8. RE/SISTERS: A Lens on Gender and Ecology
Featuring around 50 international women and gender non-conforming artists, RE/SISTERS at the Barbican Centre (opening on October 5) is a brand-new photography exhibition featuring works from emerging and established artists across the fields of photography and film. Reflecting on a range of different and sometimes challenging themes, from extractive industries to the politics of care, the works here are designed to explore ‘environmental and gender justice as indivisible parts of a global struggle‘. This is one you really don’t want to miss out on. They’ve also got ‘Julianknxx: Chorus in Rememory of Flight’, a fantastic exhibition by poet, artist and filmmaker Julianknxx who explores themes of inheritance, loss and belonging through music, written words and visual art too.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at the Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS.
🚇 Nearest station is Barbican.
📅 Runs until January 14 2024.
🎟️ From £16.
9. Wide-Angle View
Through the lens of the pages of the Architectural Review magazine, Wide-Angle View is a photography exhibition based around the ‘Manplan Series’, a ground-breaking exploration of architecture’s impact on society. This exhibition of over 70 original photographs, some that have never been seen before, offers a unique insights on society in the late 1960’s Britain. Featuring works by Ian Berry, Patrick Ward and Tony Ray-Jones, this is a fascinating exhibition which incorporates pioneering graphic and print techniques and radical photojournalism too.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at the Architecture Gallery (ground floor), 66 Portland Place, London, W1B 1AD.
🚇 Nearest stations are Regent’s Park and Great Portland Street.
📅 Runs until February 24 2024.
🎟️ Free.
10. The Missing Thread: Untold Stories Of Black British Fashion
This Autumn, the prestigious Somerset House explores the stories of black British fashion in a major new art exhibition, The Missing Thread, which is curated by the Black Oriented Legacy Development Agency (BOLD). You’ll get to gain a significant insight into the way black British fashion has changed since the 1970’s, and the unique contribution that it has made to the United Kingdom’s design legacy through music, photography, art and design.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at East Wing Galleries, Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA.
🚇 Nearest station is Temple.
📅 Runs until January 7 2024.
🎟️ From £5.
11. The Harry Potter Photographic Exhibition at the London Film Museum
When it comes to photography exhibitions in London, this one is probably the one for all members of the family. Housing iconic production photographs from all the Harry Potter films, the Harry Potter Photographic Exhibition will give fans a behind-the-scenes, all-access look at some of the movie magic.
Key moments covered include Harry’s first day at Hogwarts in The Philosopher’s Stone all the way through to the Battle of Hogwarts in the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
Perhaps best of all, you’ll be able to ride over London on your very own broomstick – via green screen of course – and can slurp on a lovely pint of butterbeer.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at the London Film Museum, 45 Wellington Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 7BN.
🚇 Nearest station is Covent Garden.
📅 Runs indefinitely.
🎟️ From £20 per adult and £14 per child.
So there you have it – a roundup of the best photography exhibitions in London to look forward to for the remainder of 2023. So what are you waiting for culture vultures? Get out and there and get inspired!