Tabish Khan, the @LondonArtCritic, picks his top 5 photography exhibitions to see in London. If you are looking for more exhibitions, check out his previous top 5.
Catherine Opie: To Be Seen at National Portrait Gallery
Who gets to be seen in today’s society? That’s what Catherine Opie challenges in her exhibition, which includes some brilliantly staged portraits of members of the LGBT+ community. She also photographs wider communities, with gatherings of American footballers and Boy Scouts. I was drawn to her photograph of Pope Francis in a window, a powerful man diminished by the grandeur of the architecture around him, a critical image in the wake of the Church’s delayed acknowledgement of its role in the death of Canadian First Nations children. Until 31st May, ticketed.
Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2026 at The Photographers’ Gallery
It’s a particularly topical year for this prize as Amak Mahmoodian examines what it’s like to be an Iranian person living in exile, Rene Matic explores intimacy and identity, and Jane Evelyn Atwood’s photographs what it’s like to be a woman and incarcerated. My favourite was the work of Weronika Gesicka, who creates historical fake images that include mythical plants and animals, a vampire cowgirl, and black-and-white photos of monster attacks on cities. It’s a ton of fun and also captures the way AI is warping our sense of what did and didn’t happen. Until 7th June, ticketed.
Gordon Parks: We Shall Not Be Moved at Alison Jacques
Gordon Parks captured African-American life through his lens, and this exhibition brings together a slice of his powerful portfolio. It captures life behind bars, protest marches and portraits of black couples at home. The hardest images to look at are seeing the signs for segregation, with separate water fountains, waiting rooms and entrances for ‘colored’ persons. It’s a powerful and important exhibition, with photographs in colour and black-and-white. Until 11th April.
Water Pantanal Fire at Science Museum
The Pantanal in South America is the world’s largest wetland, yet many visitors won’t have heard of it. These photographs show it filled with life, including caimans, fish, and jaguars, but also the threats of climate change and wildfires – juxtaposing these two makes for stark contrasts. The images of dead animals are particularly harrowing, and one of a dead howler monkey carbonised by fire, as if kneeling in prayer, is a tough one to view. Until 31st May, free.
Bernd and Hilla Becher at Sprüth Magers
I’ve always been a fan of the Becher’s black-and-white photographs of architecture, standing stark against the landscape. We have sets of their trademark water towers and gasholders, plus some series I was less familiar with, featuring houses and industrial towers. There’s always a captivating symmetry in their work that documents the proliferation of these structures, both in their uniformity and in their touches of individuality. Until 28th March.
All images are copyrighted and courtesy of the relevant artist and gallery/museum. Catherine Opie photo: © David Parry. Deutsche Prize Image: © Weronika Gesicka. Gordon Parks image: © The Gordon Parks Foundation. Water Pantanal Fire image: © Science Museum Group. Sprüth Magers image: © Estate Bernd & Hilla Becher, represented by Max Becher, courtesy Sprüth Magers Photo: Ben Westoby / Fine Art Documentation
