Photo London at Somerset House is always a highlight of the UK art calendar. The fair is always a focal point for city-wide exhibitions, and events. A hand-picked selection of 80 of the world’s top galleries will participate in Photo London 2016, exhibiting photography for sale from all periods and genres in the spectacular setting of Somerset House, Photo London’s central campus, over a period of four days from 19 – 22 May 2016. The list of exhibitors announced today includes galleries from Berlin, Cologne, Helsinki, Lisbon, Zurich, Tehran, Minneapolis, New York, Palm Beach, Santa Monica, Singapore, Tokyo, alongside the pick of London’s top photography galleries, with an extended ‘Discovery’ section for new and emerging galleries.
The legendary war photographer, Don McCullin was named today as the Photo London Master of Photography 2016. He will be the subject of a special exhibition of his work at Somerset House, presented by Photo London in association with Hamiltons Gallery. Photo London will also present a rare opportunity to meet Don McCullin in a public conversation at Somerset House with Tate Photography Curator, Simon Baker on Thursday 19th May.
There will be a series of site-specific commissions for Photo London. Announced today is a commission by two acclaimed young stars of the London art scene, Walter and Zoniel.
Photography collector and James Bond producer, Michael Wilson OBE, will lend a series of 12 large-scale photographic works by the English artist, Craigie Horsfield, for an exhibition in the Embankment Galleries at Somerset House, drawn from his encyclopaedic personal collection of over 11,000 photographs. The first time that the Wilson Centre has loaned work to an art fair.
The celebrated Moscow Multimedia Art Museum (formerly Moscow House of Photography) is the only museum in Russia to have a specialised programme of festivals and projects. Olga Sviblova, its Director, will curate a special exhibition for Photo London at Somerset House of contemporary Russian photography.
A stellar line-up of top international photographers will participate in the Photo London Public Programme, both on site at Somerset House and off-site in locations across London including the Whitechapel Art Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the Photographers’ Gallery and the Hayward Gallery as well as at Somerset House.
The programme of talks and symposia at Somerset House is curated by William A. Ewing, distinguished curator and writer on photography, former Director of Musée de l’Elysée and Director of Exhibitions at the International Center of Photography in New York. Among the participants in the programme announced today are Ed Burtynsky, Chloe Dewe Mathews, Ori Gersht, Katy Grannan, Francis Hodgson, Nadav Kander, Nick Knight, David Maisel, Gerard Malanga, Don McCullin, Mary McCartney, Richard Misrach, Graham Nash, Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Martin Parr, Rankin and Olga Sviblova.
London’s public museums and galleries will put the spotlight on photography in May: Martin Parr will curate Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed by International Photographers at the Barbican Art Gallery; at the National Portrait Gallery their special exhibition will be Vogue 100: A Century of Style; at the Science Museum/Media Space the work of William Henry Fox Talbot will featured; the V&A will present Paul Strand: Photography and Film for the 20th Century, and A History of Photography; Tate Modern will present Performing for the Camera, as well as host Offprint London – A Photobook Fair and Tate Britain will presentPainting with Light: Art and Photography from the Pre-Raphaelites to the Modern Age the Photographers Gallery will present Deutsche Börse Foundation Photography Prize 2016 andTake Two: Drawing and Photography; Camden Arts Centre will feature the work of Stefan and Franciszka Themerson.
Sotheby’s, Christies and Phillips will all hold major photography sales during Photo London week.
Michael Benson, co-founder of Photo London with Fariba Farshad said today: “London is the only city in the world where you dare to imagine that you would get this kind of dynamic response to a new cultural venture like Photo London. We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received from the City’s cultural organisations. From national art institutions like the Tate, the National Portrait Gallery and the V&A to emerging artists, young collectors and galleries especially in the creative hubs of the East End and South London, from the best dealers to all of London’s auction houses, and above all London’s brilliant photographers, we have been delighted to find that so many people of all ages share our passion for photography and believe like us that London has the potential to become the world capital of photography.”