If you want to see some truly unique photography, check out our 10 must see exhibitions in 2023 👇

The Royal Academy of Arts - Summer Exhibition

12^th June – 20^th August 2023

Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD

The Summer Exhibition is our annual celebration of art and artists, run without interruption since 1769. Anyone can submit their work and – if your work is selected by our panel of artists – it will go on display in our Main Galleries.

This year celebrated British painter David Remfry RA takes the reins as exhibition co-ordinator. Remfry’s Summer Exhibition will explore the theme Only Connect, taken from the famous quote in Howards End by E.M. Forster.

The Summer Exhibition shows every imaginable medium – from prints, paintings, film and photography to sculpture, architectural works and more – by leading artists, Royal Academicians and household names as well as new and emerging talent. Most of the works are available to buy and sales from the Summer Exhibition directly support the exhibiting artists and the RA’s charitable work, including training the next generation of artists in the Royal Academy Schools.

 

Tate Britain – Sarah Lucas Exhibition

Autumn 2023

Millbank, London SW1P 4RG

The autumn will see a career-spanning exhibition devoted to Sarah Lucas, an artist internationally celebrated for her bold and irreverent approach to British experiences of class, sex and gender. The show will cover the full scope of her work in sculpture, installation and photography, which deftly explores what makes us human and how objects are imbued with meaning.

 

Tate Modern – A World in Common: Contemporary African Photography

Summer 2023

53 Bankside, Bankside SE1 9TG

A major group show will open in the summer, A World in Common: Contemporary African Photography, bringing together photographers of different generations from across Africa. It will explore how artists have reimagined the continent’s diverse cultures, histories and geographies – from bustling cityscapes to dream-like utopias – and how photography can allow the past and the future to co-exist in powerful and transformative ways.

 

 

Imperial War Museum – Ukraine: Photographs from the Frontline

3^rd February – 7^th May 2023

Lambeth Road, London SE1 7

With the horrific war in Ukraine showing no signs of ending, this collection of 17 photographs by photojournalist Anastasia Taylor-Lind depict the harsh reality of living amidst conflict. Her shots cover the period between 2014 and 2022 — from the invasion of the Crimea to today. This important exhibition will also look at the people whose lives have been uprooted and irrevocably changed by the war.

 

National Portrait Gallery – Reopening

Spring 2023

St Martin's Place, London WC2H 0HE

After a lengthy three-year refurbishment, the National Portrait Gallery is back with a brand new and bigger entrance, a new wing, more learning resources and a re-hang of their extensive display of portraits and photographs. Whether it's Elizabeth I and Shakespeare you're here to see, or more contemporary famous faces such as Malala Yousafzai or the late Queen — this is the place for it.

 

Natural History Museum – Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Until 23^rd July 2023

Cromwell Road, London. SW7 5BD

Now in its fifty-eighth year, the renowned and celebrated annual wildlife photography competition exhibition returns to the Natural History Museum with images of the most extraordinary species on the planet captured by professional and amateur photographers. This year saw tens of thousands of entries from across the globe, with 100 selected including the winner – American photographer Karine Aignerwas’s remarkable image of a buzzing ball of cactus bees spinning over the hot sand on a Texas ranch. Don’t miss what is always a highlight in the NHM’s calendar.

 

The Photographer’s Gallery – A-kin: Aarati Akkapeddi

Until 19^th February 2023

16 - 18 Ramillies Street, London W1F 7LW

Aarati Akkapeddi trained an AI on a family photo album to explore whether algorithms are able to 'grasp the cultural traces of a community'. The results are arranged in traditional south Indian geometric patterns, creating a hypnotic, beautiful, conceptual look at culture and AI.

 

The Arc – Winchester Photographic Society’s 2023 Exhibition

25^th March – 14^th May 2023

The Arc, Jewry Street, Winchester, SO23 8SB

Winchester Photographic Society was founded in November 1923 by a group of prominent local photographers and is now one of the largest and most successful camera clubs in the south of England. They are looking forward to a centenary season in 2023/24. Membership is open to all interested in photography at any level, whether accomplished professionals or enthusiastic amateurs who wish to develop their skills.

Do not miss the special category "Sin", a creative interpretation and response to our current show at The Gallery, "Sin", an exhibition organised by the National Gallery, London with Hampshire Cultural Trust.

Photographic prints displayed in the exhibition are on sale unless otherwise stated.

 

Glasgow Gallery of Photography – Colour 2023 International Photography Exhibition

3^rd February – 28^th February 2023

57 Glassford Street, Glasgow City Centre G1 1UB

The Glasgow Gallery of Photography's mission is to advance the arts, heritage and cultural sector through exhibitions of photographic works as a means for artistic, community and personal expression.

The Glasgow Gallery of Photography is running a month-long exhibition in February around the theme of Colour. Colour photography can really make an image stand out, it can highlight a subject and really engage the viewer. After our Monochrome exhibition we really want to showcase colour photography, we want images that really pop.

 

National Maritime Museum – Astronomy Photographer of the Year

Until 13^th August 2023

Park Row, London, England SE10 9NF

Astronomy Photographer of the Year is an annual exhibition showcasing the world’s greatest space photography.

The exhibition at the National Maritime Museum will feature over 100 photographs including this year’s winning images alongside a series of shortlisted photographs on brilliant lightbox displays.