From 25 – 28 April, PHOTOFAIRS Shanghai returns for its ninth edition, comprising local and international galleries, leading arts organisations and esteemed cultural partners. Showcasing the work of more than 150 artists, the event reaffirms its position as Asia Pacific’s leading photo-based fair. Highlights include ShanghART Gallery’s showcase of Venice Biennale artist Robert Zhao Renhui as well as UP Gallery’s presentation of Aesthetica-featured artist Anastasia Samoylova. On display is Samoylova’s Breakfasts, an ongoing project in which the artist stages imaginary meals with luminaries of p ..read more

Outdoor art presents a unique experience, showcasing the power of sculpture beyond the confines of the traditional gallery. In this round-up, we highlight this season’s must-see exhibitions, from Wakehurst’s celebration and stewardship of British meadowlands, to Compton Verney’s newly opened Sculpture Park that showcases the likes of Louise Bourgeois, Helen Chadwick, Sarah Lucas and Larry Achiampong. Discover Steve Messam’s mesmerising temporary exhibition, Or, an installation comprising of 500 bright gold flags on Lowther Castle’s lawns, as well as Antony Gormley’s Time Horizon, a series of m ..read more

When we imagine a place, an image will usually spring to mind – even if it’s somewhere we’ve never visited. If the visual isn’t drawn from our memories or experiences, then it’s likely to have been conjured up from something seen on TV, in a book or newspaper, or whilst scrolling through our phones. The question is: how far has photography changed our view of the world? This is at the heart of V&A Dundee’s latest exhibition, Photo City. From its birth in the mid-19th century, to today’s smartphone era, the camera has had an integral role in place-making – for better and for worse. The new ..read more

Art fairs are a microcosm of creativity from across the world. Key events such as Art Basel, Frieze London and The Armory Show display the breadth of work made by visionaries both past and present. Some are multidisciplinary events, whilst others focus solely on one particular craft, showing the multitude of approaches that different practitioners can take when it comes to working with the same medium. This May, Photo London gives visitors the opportunity to witness the awe-inspiring scope of lens-based art, from 1840s vintage prints to contemporary contributions coming from Iceland, Japan, Pe ..read more

Finland has the highest proportion of forests compared to any other European country. More than 70% of its land is covered with coniferous pine and spruce trees, as well as a number of deciduous varieties such as birch and maple. Award-winning photographers Ritva Kovalainen (b. 1959) and Sanni Seppo (b. 1960) invite us to see what such a staggering statistic actually looks like, up close, in Forests of the North Wind. There are endless varieties of colours, plants and textures to spot. Trails of moss cling to bark. Auburn leaves cascade from above. Elsewhere, pastel pink fungi makes for a sur ..read more

Energy drives our fast-paced modern world. But, where does it come from? In 2022, the UK’s inland energy consumption breakdown was: 36% for Oil, 39.3% for Gas, 10.7% for Bioenergy and Waste, 10.9% for Primary Electricity and 3% for Coal. In 1990, Bioenergy and waste made up a barely noticeable slice of the pie chart (0.3%) and today it accounts for more than coal – which was 31.3%. Nevertheless, fossil fuels still dominate the UK’s energy supplies. We might not think about these statistics as we carry on with our day, but that doesn’t deny the fact that they relate to every aspect of our lives ..read more

Kriss Munsya. Stephanie O’Connor. Mackenzie Calle. These are the names of some of the most exciting and talented photographers of the current creative landscape, from Munsya’s vibrant and poignant series Genetic Bomb, shortlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize, to O’Connor’s tender and detailed portraits, as well as Calle’s vital creative documentary work on the history of queer bodies in space. We’re delighted to see these names also included in LensCulture New York 2024 – a group show celebrating the richness and diversity of contemporary photography in many forms. Here, we look at the work of ..read more

One of the most famous paintings by J.M.W. Turner (1775–1851) is called Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth (1842). The piece is well-known, in part, for the story that surrounds it; Turner claimed he “got the sailors to lash [him] to the mast to observe [the storm] … for four hours” as part of his process. Although this can’t be proven, the tale captures an artist’s dedication to the authenticity of his subject matter: in this case, nature at its harshest and most unwieldy. There’s a Turner-esque, painterly quality to Dave Hoefler’s photographs. In these abstracted visions of lakes ..read more

Photography is ubiquitous. In 1999, the Kyocera VP 201 was the first commercial phone that could take 20 pictures. Years later, the invention of the iPhone in 2007 advanced camera technology further and today nearly everyone has a high spec camera in their pocket. Contemporary creatives are also pushing boundaries within the medium and there are global awards designed to celebrate today’s masters and rising stars, including the Deutsche Börse, Prix Pictet, Taylor Wessing and Portrait of Britain. These international organisations and their outputs take the temperature of contemporary lens-based ..read more

Sensitive to ecological issues, visual artist Brigitte Amarger, based in Paris, France, creates artworks by recycling discarded materials, in an eco-responsible zero waste approach. Her practice includes textile and digital techniques, laser cutting and engraving on x-ray, luminescent and reflective media, textile and paper. Her sculptural installation La Chute / The Fall (2021) is composed of discarded materials, rendering them into little cut-outs of falling figures. The work, shortlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize 2024 sits at the centre of York Art Gallery’s space, dazzling viewers in it ..read more