Photo London returns this year for its third edition with an expanded line-up of galleries and a host of engaging exhibitions and talks as part of its public programme.
We've picked out ten things not to be missed when visiting the fair, open from Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 May 2017.
Each year the fair nominates a single practitioner as their Master of Photography. Following on from Sebastião Salgado and Don McCullin, this year Photo London has chosen Taryn Simon, in recognition of her groundbreaking work. Simon presents Image Atlas at the fair, a work created in collaboration with programmer Aaron Swartz, which investigates cultural differences and similarities by indexing top image results for given search terms across local engines throughout the world. Simon will be in conversation with Artangel Co-Director James Lingwood as part of the fair's Talks Programme.
Isaac Julien's 1989 film Looking for Langston was critically lauded upon release, and is widely regarded as as a cinematic landmark in the exploration of desire and the reciprocity of the gaze, created at a time when the AIDS crisis was at its height. This exhibition at Photo London revisits the film, which pays homage to Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes, through original photography made at the time of filming. The exhibition will continue free of charge until 29 May following the fair.
Hear from renowned conceptual artist Thomas Demand, in conversation with Tobia Bezzola, Director of Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany. Demand is known for his large-scale photographs exploring the gap between reality and its representation, constructing meticulously detailed, life-sized paper models of politcally charged locations to play with our notions of the real and the fictional.
Expanded for 2017, Photo London dedicates a whole section of the fair to emerging photography galleries. With up and coming galleries such as TJ Boulting, Webber Gallery Space and Paris' NEXTLEVEL, head here to discover the cutting-edge talent of the photography world.
Artist Mat Collishaw recreates one of the first ever exhibitions of photography using the latest VR technology with his latest work Thresholds. Don't miss this groundbreaking intersection of art and technology. Mat will be in conversation with Gallerist and Collector Dr. James Hyman on Sunday 21 May to talk about the project.
It's not all photography at the fair. Spring Restaurant's Skye Gyngell has devised a community eating house that combats food waste, using seasonal scraps from the restaurant's a la carte menu.
Following his multi-channel video installation in Barbican's Curve Gallery, hear the recently announced winner of the 2017 Prix Pictet discussing his award-winning work Heat Maps, 2016-17, which uses a tele-military grade thermographic camera to track the movement refugee camps across Europe and the Middle East.
After last year's installation of Wolfgang Tillmans' anti-Brexit posters, Photo London has commissioned new works for this outside space in 2017. Legendary New York photographer and filmmaker William Klein presents an eye-catching 18-metre mural showcasing his distinctive monochrome work, whilst Korean artists Bae Bien-U and Noh Suntag present two individual 25-metre long murals titled Dual Reality.
Legendary photo-agency Magnum turns 70 this year. In celebration of this landmark anniversary an exhibition of photographs from the collection of Magnum member David Hurn is being exhibited, co-curated by fellow photographer Martin Parr. The collection comprises of images acquired by Hurn over six decades of swapping works with fellow photographers, including Bill Brandt, Bruce Davidson, Sergio Larrain and Diana Markosia, and will be exhibited with key works from his own career.
Head down to Embankment level to discover a special exhibition by German provocateur Juergen Teller. Adept at navigating the world's of fine art and commercial photography, Teller has shot campaigns for the likes of Marc Jacobs and Vivienne Westwood and brings his trademark snapshot aesthetic to Photo London for 2017.
The 2017 edition of Photo London runs from 18 - 21 May, book tickets here.
