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 being devastated by the current Ukranian crisis, to photos capturing some of the rarest animals on the entire planet, here’s our rundown of 11 of the best photography exhibitions in London to explore for the remainder of 2023:
1. Ukraine: Photographs from the Frontline
This powerful one-room exhibition presents a series of photographs by photojournalist Anastasia Taylor-Lind, who documents the lead-up to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Taken over a period of eight years, these sobering photographs will help you to discover what went on during the 2014 protests in Kyiv and the devastating reality of living amidst the conflict by individuals in Eastern Ukraine.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at the Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, London, SE1 6HZ.
🚇 Nearest station is Lambeth North.
📅 Runs until May 8 2023.
🎟️ Free.
2. Aladdin Sane: 50 Years Exhibition
One of the most iconic images of our time, the lighting bolt-covered David Bowie featured on the front of his 1973 album ‘Aladdin Sane’. Now, 50 years on, the Southbank Centre are putting on an exhibition that ‘explores the continuous reshaping of Bowie’s image, and his part, along with the photographer Duffy’s, in a reimagining of sexual and gender identity‘. This is definitely one not to miss!
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
🚇 Closest station is Waterloo.
📅 Runs from April 6 to May 28.
🎟️ From £5.
3. A Good Man is Hard to Find!
A Hard Man is Good to Find! celebrates a cloak-and-dagger style visual culture of gay men’s bodies that emerged during the post-war period, during a time when making and distributing such images was considered a criminal offence. This fantastic photography exhibition will include works by Cecil Beaton, David Gwinnutt and Ajamu X, and will highlight the key neighbourhoods of London which were a focus for men seeking out men to photograph.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at The Photographer’s Gallery, 16-18 Ramillies Street, London, W1F 7LW.
🚇 Nearest station is Oxford Circus.
📅 Runs until June 11 2023.
🎟️ From £6.50.
4. Astronomy Photography of the Year
The Astronomy Photography of the Year is a photography exhibition at Greenwich’s National Maritime Museum featuring the world’s greatest space photography. Photographers from across the globe compete to take home the prestigious title, and over 100 photographs will be on show this year.
From ghost-like galaxies to fiery red suns, this London photography exhibition will bring different points of view from all around the world, so it’s definitely not one to miss!
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at the National Maritime Museum, Romney Road, London, SE10 9NF.
🚇 Closest stations are Maze Hill and Greenwich.
📅 Runs until August 13 2023.
🎟️ From £10.
5. 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 September 30 2023.
🎟️ Free.
6. Chinese and British
Chinese communities have been calling the UK home for centuries, and this free photography exhibition will reflect on this long and rich history through a series of photographs, manuscripts and interviews with those who have lived through it. You’ll get to listen to personal accounts of merchant seamen, discover the stories of those who helped to set up the UK’s first Chinatowns, and delve into the challenges that British Chinese people have encountered through the centuries and continue to face today.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at the British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB.
🚇 Nearest station is King’s Cross St. Pancras.
📅 Runs until April 23 2023.
🎟️ Free.
7. Beyond the Streets
Showcasing work from over 150 artists and icons, the behemoth that is the ‘Beyond The Streets’ exhibition marks the first time in eight years that a single show has occupied the whole of the Saatchi Gallery – meaning visitors can look forward to 70,000 square feet of street art.
Running until May 9, 2023, and supported by Adidas Originals, the exhibition showcases an entire treasure trove of work paying homage to the movement. Surround yourself in the worlds of graffiti, street art, hip-hop and punk rock, and learn about the artists who defined them. There will be plenty of photography dotted throughout, and you’ll get to see various works from legendary artists including Banksy and DAZE.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, London, SW3 4RY.
🚇 Nearest station is Sloane Square.
📅 Runs until May 9 2023.
🎟️ From £25.
8. Sony World Photography Awards
The Sony World Photography Awards are one of the world’s largest and most prestigious photography competitions, championing the best contemporary photography from across the globe and providing participating photographers with important international exposure and career-building opportunities.
New to the awards for 2023 will be the launch of a prize in support of the United Nations’ environmental Sustainable Development Goals, and a new solo presentation for the ‘Photographer of the Year‘. Also on display is a special presentation of over 20 works by this year’s recipient of the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Photography‘award, Rinko Kawauchi.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA.
🚇 Nearest station is Temple.
📅 Runs from April 14 2023 to May 1 2023.
🎟️ £15.
9. Wildlife Photographer of the Year
A yearly event which has been running since 1965, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year always deserves a spot on this roundup of the best photography exhibitions in London. Running from October 22 until July 2023 in a newly-designed exhibition space, it will showcase ‘100 remarkable photographs which illustrate the precious beauty of our planet‘.
Sneak-peak photographs for 2022 include an octopus hiding in a shell in Indonesia’s Lumbar Strait, a southern right whale off the coast of New Zealand – which were very nearly hunted to extinction – and a polar bear gazing out of an abandoned house in Kolyuchin in Russia’s Far East.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 5BD.
🚇 Nearest station is South Kensington.
📅 Runs until July 2023.
🎟️ From £17.
10. 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 from July until January 2024, it’ll reflect aspects of the whole continent and will explore themes of spirituality, identity, urbanism and the climate emergency too.
📍 You’ll find the exhibition at the Tate Modern, Bankside, London, SE1 9TG.
🚇 Nearest station is Blackfriars.
📅 Runs from July 6 2023 to January 14 2024.
🎟️ From £17.
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. Elsewhere in town, you can also join your very own Harry Potter photo tour –
📍 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 in 2023. So what are you waiting for culture vultures? Get out and there and get inspired!