January 7, 2022
One of the best ways to gain inspiration for your photography and exploring different styles is by experiencing and viewing the work of other photographers and artists. We’ve put together a selection of the best exhibitions on around the UK during 2022 to see photography; including exhibitions that present photographs alongside other disciplines.
Below, you’ll find the information you need including dates, location and ticket details to plan your trips.
We will be updating this page with the latest information regularly, so be sure to check back!
Best Photography Exhibitions to see in 2022
Prix Pictet 2021: Fire
V&A, London
On now until 9th January 2022
Wednesday – Sunday 10am – 5:45pm
Free entry
Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
The exhibition will showcase the world-class photography shortlisted for this year’s prestigious Prix Pictet, the global award with a unique commitment to promoting discussion and debate on issues of sustainability and the environment.
Twelve series of powerful photographs by 13 international photographers exploring the topical theme of ‘fire’ will be presented in the exhibition. In December, American artist Sally Mann was announced as the winner of the prize with her Blackwater (2008-2012) tintype series.
Website: Prix Pictet 2021: Fire
Blackwater 1 2008 – 2012. From the series Blackwater, 2008–12. Tintype. Courtesy of the artist and Gagosian. © Sally Mann
Light Lines: The Architectural Photographs of Hélène Binet
Royal Academy of Arts, London
On now until 23 January 2022
Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 6pm
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD
Tickets: £17, concessions available
Over the past 30 years, Hélène Binet has travelled the world to photograph historic and contemporary buildings, as well as projects in the making. Considered “the architect’s photographer” by many, Binet has worked closely with Zaha Hadid RA, Daniel Libeskind Hon RA and Peter Zumthor Hon RA among others, who have turned to her to interpret their work.
This intimate exhibition of around 90 photographs, spans projects from across Binet’s career, and foregrounds her ability to capture the essential elements of architecture
Website: Light Lines: The Architectural Photographs of Hélène Binet
projects; Zaha Hadid Architects, Riverside Museum of Transport, Glasgow, United Kingdom, 2010. Digital black-and-white silver-gelatin print, 80 x 102 cm. Courtesy ammann // projects. © Hélène Binet
F E A S T
Atlas Gallery, London
On now until 29 January 2022
Monday – Friday 10am – 6pm, Saturday 11am – 5pm
49 Dorset Street, London W1U 7NF
F E A S T presents a large selection of works from multiple contemporary artists as well as some vintage works by twentieth century masters from The Atlas Collection. The exhibition includes works by artists including Ansel Adams, Peter Beard, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Bill Brandt, Koo Bohnchuang. Julia Bostock, Ernst Haas, Jimmy Nelson, Irving Penn and more.
Performance by Rankin
FUJIFILM House of Photography
On now until 31 January 2022
Monday – Wednesday 11am – 7pm, Thursday – Saturday 11am – 8pm, Sunday 12pm – 6pm
Free entry
House of Photography, 8-9 Long Acre, Covent Garden, London WC2E 9LH
Performance by Rankin is a celebration of the enormous talent and resilience of London’s theatreland, the cultural heart of the city, as it emerges from a devastating pandemic shutdown.
Across nearly 150 portraits, taken by Rankin, of individuals from nearly 60 top London shows and venues, visitors to the FUJIFILM House of Photography will get a comprehensive look behind the curtain at the countless highly skilled people who make up the sector – from star performers, writers, directors and producers to stage managers, dressers, pit musicians, designers, puppeteers, technicians, stage door keepers, voice coaches and many more.
Championing the best in photography, Rankin shot all images on the iconic FUJIFILM GFX100, with all images printed on FUJIFILM photographic papers on-location at the House of Photography – a central hub for creative works situated in Covent Garden, the heart of theatre-land.
We spoke to Rankin about the project here: Rankin “emotional” about Performance exhibition
Website: Performance by Rankin
Stephanie Lo, Lioness and Dance Captain in Disney’s The Lion King at Lyceum Theatre © Rankin
Helen Levitt: In the Street
The Photographers’ Gallery, London
On now until 13 February 2022
Tuesday and Wednesday 10am – 6pm, Thursday and Friday 10am – 8pm, Saturday 10am – 6pm Sunday 11am – 6pm
Tickets: £5 / £2.50 Concession
16 Ramillies Street, London, England W1F 7LW
The Photographers’ Gallery presents a retrospective spanning fifty years of work by the landmark American street photographer, Helen Levitt (1913–2009).
Website: Helen Levitt: In The Street
Mary Ellen Mark: Alike, My Friends
Huxley-Parlour, London
19 January – 12 February 2022
Monday to Saturday 10am – 5:30pm
3-5 Swallow Street, London W1B 4DE
A solo exhibition of 26 works by American photographer Mary Ellen Mark. It will be the first UK presentation of Mark’s work since her inclusion in a 2008 exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, in London.
Mary Ellen Mark is widely known for her ability to photograph those on the margins of society with compassion and intimacy. Taking portraiture as its focus, Huxley-Parlour’s exhibition will examine the relationship between the photographer and her subjects. More broadly, the exhibition seeks to display Mark’s significant contribution to the history of American documentary photography.
Website: Alike, my Friends – Huxley-Parlour Galler
Amazônia
Science Museum, London
On now until March 2022
Wednesday – Sunday 10am – 6pm
Tickets: £10
Exhibition Road, London SW7 2
Sebastião Salgado, winner of the 2021 Praemium Imperiale award for painting, presents Amazônia, a breath-taking photography exhibition that celebrates the indigenous peoples and varied landscapes of the Brazilian rainforest.
For seven years, Salgado worked with twelve different indigenous communities to create this magnificent photography exhibition. The result is over 200 powerful black-and-white photographs that uncover Salgado’s vision of the Amazon when the forest is approaching a crucial tipping point in the fight against climate change.
Website: Amazônia
Amazônia will also open at the Science and Industry Museum, Manchester in 2022
Liverpool Road, Manchester, England M3 4FP
An igapó, a type of forest frequently flooded by river water. Anavilhanas archipelago, Anavilhanas National Park, state of Amazonas, 2019. © Sebastião Salgado
See our interview with Sebastião Salgado here: Sebastiao Salgado interview – AP talks to Sebastiao Salgado on Amazonia
Generations: Portraits of Holocaust Survivors
RPS Gallery, Bristol
27 January – 27 March 2022
Thursday – Sunday (and Bank Holiday Mondays), 10am – 5 pm
The Royal Photographic Society, RPS House, 337 Paintworks, Arnos Vale, Bristol, BS4 3AR.
Tickets available soon
In partnership with the Imperial War Museum, Jewish News, and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust Generations: Portraits of Holocaust Survivors (27 January – 27 March 2022) showcases new works from 14 contemporary photographers, members and Fellows of RPS, alongside photography by RPS patron, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge.
Website: Generations: Portraits of Holocaust Survivors
Freddie Knoller BEM photographed on his 100th birthday with his wife, daughters and grandson. © Frederic Aranda
America in Crisis
Saatchi Gallery, London
21 January – 3 April 2022
Wednesday – Sundays 10am – 6pm
Closed on Monday and Tuesdays until 2 February.
Tickets from £3
Duke Of York’s HQ, London, SW3 4RY
America in Crisis will bring together 40 leading American photographers and over 120 works exploring social change in the U.S from the 1960s till today. America in Crisis was a ground-breaking group initiative originally conceived in 1969 to assess the state of the nation. This Magnum Photos project was led by American photographer Charles Harbutt and Lee Jones, then Magnum’s New York bureau chief.
The 2022 exhibition at Saatchi Gallery will create a dialogue between the original historical photographs from the 1969 Magnum project and new works produced five decades later, by diverse contemporary practitioners, during another tumultuous time in America.
Featured photographers include Bruce Davidson, Elliott Erwitt, Mary Ellen Mark, Kris Graves and Satcy Kranitz.
Website: America in Crisis
FXCK July 4th: Rally cultivating change from injustice and police brutality toward women and LGBTQ+, Atlanta, Georgia, 2020 © Sheila Pree Bright
International Garden Photographer of the Year
Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
5 February – 6 March 2022
Open daily. 1 February to 28 February 2022 10am – 5pm, 1 March to 31 March 2022 10am – 6pm
Entry included with Gardens ticket
Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE
The launch exhibition of the 15th International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) competition will return to Kew Gardens this coming February.
The exhibition will feature a selection of higher-placed winning photographs from across all main pay-to-enter categories, such as; ‘Beautiful Gardens’, ‘The Beauty of Plants’, ‘Wildlife in the Garden’ and newest addition — ‘The World of Fungi’.
Photo projects and a selection of exclusive winning photographs from the latest ‘Captured at Kew’ special award will also be on display.
Website: International Garden Photographer of the Year Exhibition 15
Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear
Victoria and Albert Museum, Dundee
19 March – 6 November 2022
Thursday – Monday 10am – 5pm
Tickets: Adults £20
1 Riverside Esplanade, Dundee, Scotland DD1 4EZ
Opening March 2022, Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear will be the first major V&A exhibition to celebrate the power, artistry and diversity of masculine attire and appearance. The show will trace how menswear has been fashioned and refashioned over the centuries, and how designers, tailors and artists – and their clients and sitters – have constructed and performed masculinity, and unpicked it at the seams.
Fashioning Masculinities will present around 100 looks and 100 artworks, displayed thematically across three galleries. Contemporary looks by legendary designers and rising stars will be displayed alongside historical treasures from the V&A’s collections and landmark loans: classical sculptures, Renaissance paintings, iconic photographs, and powerful film and performance.
Photography on display will include images by David Hockney, Lionel Wendt, Zanele Muholi and Isaac Julien.
In partnership with Gucci
Website: Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear
Amy: Beyond the Stage
The Design Museum, London
On now until 10 April 2022
Sunday – Thursday 10am-6pm, Friday and Saturday 10am – 9pm
Tickets: Adults from £14.50, a range of student and concession tickets available.
224 Kensington High Street, London, England W8 6AG
Celebrate the creativity and legacy of one of the great artists of our time in this first major retrospective exhibition on the British musician
Amy Winehouse at the Design Museum. Exploring the creative process, music and unforgettable style of a musician that drew unique line between genres such as Jazz and R&B.
The exhibition includes unseen personal items including notebooks and photographs, as well as artistic photography presenting her distinct style with images by Charles Moriarty, Valerie Phillips, Diane Patrice, Jake Chessum and more, alongside fashion, music and video displays, plus an immersive experience.
Website: Amy: Beyond the Stage
Landscape Photographer of the Year 2021
On tour across the UK
On now until May 2022.
Free entry
Winning images from the 2021 Landscape Photographer of the Year competition, including overall winner Morning at Countryside by Mara Leite, will be on display in train stations around the UK, alongside commended images on a digital stand.
London Bridge 15 November 2021 – 9 January 2022 (Please note the digital screen will not be on display at London Bridge)
Liverpool Street 10 January – 23 January
Leeds 24 January – 6 February
Edinburgh Waverley 7 February – 20 February
Manchester Piccadilly 21 February – 6 March
Birmingham New Street 7 March – 20 March
Reading 21 March – 3 April
Paddington 4 April – 17 April
Waterloo 18 April – 1 May
Website: Landscape Photographer of the Year
Morning at Countryside by Mara Leite LPOTY 2021 Winner. © Mara Leite
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Natural History Museum, London
On now until 5 June 2022
Open daily 10am – 5:50pm
Tickets: Adults from £15.50, Concessions from £12.50, Children from £9.25
Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD
Wildlife Photographer of the Year showcases 100 powerful photographs telling the story of our planet under pressure. Gaze through the lens of some of the world’s best wildlife photographers and marvel at the beauty of our planet.
Displayed alongside insights from Museum scientists and experts, the images will inspire and astound, leaving visitors with a deeper understanding of the issues facing nature and the actions we need to take to protect it.
Website: Wildlife Photographer of the Year 57 exhibition
Creation by Laurent Ballesta, France. Underwater and Grand Title Winner, Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021. © Laurent Ballesta
Astronomy Photographer of the Year
National Maritime Museum, London
On now until 7 August 2022
Open daily 10am – 5pm
Tickets: £10 adults, £6.50 concessions
Park Row, London, England SE10 9NF
Astronomy Photographer of the Year is an annual exhibition showcasing the world’s greatest space photography.
This year’s exhibition is now open at the National Maritime Museum, featuring over 100 photographs on brilliant lightbox displays. Including ‘The Golden Ring’ by Overall Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2021 winner, Shuchang Dong, and category winners Deepal Ratnayaka (UK), Nicolas Lefaedeux (France) and Paul Eckhardt (USA).
Website: Astronomy Photographer of the Year exhibition
‘The Golden Ring’ by Shuchang Dong, Overall Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2021 winner. © Shuchang Dong
Surrealism Beyond Borders
Tate Modern, London
24 February – 29 August 2022
Open daily 10am – 6pm
Ticket details to be announced soon
Millbank, London SW1P 4RG
Surrealism is not a style – but a state of mind. It aims to subvert reality. To find the uncanny in the everyday. To tap into our unconscious desires and bring dreams to life. And for many artists around the world, it has been a way to challenge authority and imagine a new world.
Previous stories of surrealism have focused on Paris in the 1920s. Based on extensive research, this exhibition will reach across the world and over 50 years. It will show how artists around the world have been inspired and united by surrealism – from centres as diverse as Buenos Aires, Cairo, Lisbon, Mexico City, Prague, Seoul, and Tokyo.
The exhibition will feature over 150 works, many of which have not been shown before in the UK. Including photographs by Cecilia Porras and Enrique Grau, alongside the likes of Lee Miller and Man Ray.
Surrealism Beyond Borders is presented in the Eyal Ofer Galleries. Research supported by Hyundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational in partnership with Hyundai Motor. Exhibition organised by Tate Modern and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Website: Surrealism Beyond Borders
International Photography Exhibition 163
RPS Gallery, Bristol
16 April – 3 July 2022
Thursday – Sunday (and Bank Holiday Mondays), 10am – 5 pm
The Royal Photographic Society, RPS House, 337 Paintworks, Arnos Vale, Bristol, BS4 3AR.
The International Photography Exhibition (IPE) is the world’s longest running photography exhibition. Now in its 163rd edition, the IPE 163 is a powerful exhibition that demonstrates the breadth of contemporary image-making and storytelling today. It explores themes of identity, cultural heritage, global societal issues, gender politics, mental health, the natural world, and the human condition.
A total of 105 works by 57 photographers will be on display in the International Photography Exhibition 163 at RPS Gallery.
Website: RPS International Photography Exhibition
Hug, from the series Men Don’t Cry, © KyeongJun Yang
Sony World Photography Awards
Somerset House, London
14 April – 2 May 2022
Strand, London, England WC2R 1LA
Sony World Photography Awards
Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool
10 November – 11 December 2022
Wednesday – Sunday, 11am – 4pm
19 Mann Island, Liverpool Waterfront, Liverpool L3 1BP
More details to be confirmed
Website: 2022 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition
Travel Photographer of the Year
Coal Drops Yard, London
May 2022
Free outdoor exhibition
Stable Street, London N1C 4AB
Travel Photographer of the Year
Chester Cathedral, Chester
October 2022
9 Abbey Square, Chester, England CH1 2HU
An exhibition of selected winning images from the TPOTY awards will be travelling to Chester Cathedral.
More details to be announced
Website: TPOTY
Hannah Starkey
The Hepworth Wakefield, Wakefield, Yorkshire
20 October 2022 – 30 April 2023
Wednesday – Sunday, 10am – 4pm
Tickets: £10-12, to go on sale early 2022
Gallery Walk, Wakefield, England WF1 5AW
The Hepworth Wakefield will present the first major survey of British photographer Hannah Starkey, tracing the development of her work across two decades. Throughout her career, Starkey’s meticulously choreographed photographs have determinedly engaged with how women are represented in contemporary culture, an issue which is now centre stage.
On display will be photographs from Starkey’s graduation show in 1997 that immediately brought her widespread acclaim, through to a newly commissioned body of work that will be created with young women in Wakefield in 2022.
Website: Hannah Starkey at The Hepworth Wakefield
Hannah Starkey, Untitled, May 1997, 1997 framed c-type print mounted on aluminium 122 x 162 cm © Hannah Starkey. Courtesy Maureen Paley, London.
FORMAT21: Control
Format International Photography Festival, Online
On now online until March 2023
FORMAT in collaboration with New Art City have presented the 2021 international photography festival online in a purpose-built multi-player virtual gallery space.
The exhibitions split across 20 galleries includes over 160 international artists and a selection of the 40,000 images submitted from over 90 countries from the #massisolationFORMAT archive created during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Website: Format Festival
Further reading
Best photography competitions to enter in 2021