The month-long London Festival of Photography opens to the public today. We pick out the highlights.
The first day of June means many things. For all you photography fans out there it means the first day of the London Festival of Photography. Launched in 2011 as the London Street Photography Festival, the 2012 edition sees the remit expand along with the sheer quantity of exhibitions and events taking place throughout June.
Again the focus (ahem) is on the area around King's Cross, a part of town that, since the arrival of the Guardian and Central Saint Martins, as well as the reopening of the gorgeous St Pancras Hotel, is increasingly becoming known as a cultural destination. But there's also a whole heap of goings-on further afield at venues like the Museum of London, Tate Modern, British Museum, and Photofusion down in Brixton.
With over 19 exhibitions and 30 other events – workshops, talks, tours and the like – all making up the London Festival of Photography, there's a lot to see. As festival founder Brett Jefferson Scott said at the media view: “We promised ourselves we wouldn't do as much as last year, but we've done way more!”
Here's our tips on what not to miss:
25th May – 1st July
Exhibition: Simon Roberts @ Swiss Cottage Gallery
Free, times vary
One of the UK's most interesting photographers for some years, Simon Roberts really rose to prominence in 2010 when he was appointed as official Election Artist by the House of Commons Works of Art Committee. For this show at Swiss Cottage Gallery, Roberts is showing a series of works that document the recession in numerous, innovative ways – specifically its changing modes of representation, from the multi-screen displays of the City worker to the placards of the Occupy movement.
1st June – 24th June
Exhibition: The Great British Public @ Dog Eared Gallery
£6.50, Mon-Sun 10am-6pm
An exploration of British identity in all its diversity, The Great British Public is in some ways the centrepiece of this year's London Festival of Photography and showcases the organisers' strongly curated approach. Taking place primarily in the Dog Eared Gallery, hidden away down a King's Cross back street, the exhibition also spills over into the weird new St Pancras International dome structure (where you should make sure to check out the Trolley Portrait series by the amazing Stephen Gill).
1st June – 29th June
Exhibition: Camera Obscura @ Minnie Weisz Studio
Free, Tue-Sun 10am-6pm
Tucked in between the Relic Antique Warehouse and a shop selling “radiator cover's” is Minnie Weisz's charming little studio. Set over two floors (with the steepest staircase imaginable) the space is currently showing works produced by Wesiz over the last seven years. By turning peeling, dilapidated rooms in the local area into makeshift pinhole cameras, Weisz combines reflexive introversion with a much-needed sensitivity to place. These images are both strange and elegantly haunting, like half-remembered dreams or memories etched away by time.
Monday 11th June
Talk: Beneath the Surface @ Scott Room (Guardian HQ)
£9.99, 7pm
Throughout June, the foyer of the Guardian building is playing host to an exhibition of images from 1970s South Africa taken by photographer Steve Bloom. The works are both a still-shocking indictment of apartheid and a tribute to the life of activist Steve Biko, who died in police custody in 1977. While the images are undeniably powerful, it's the stories behind them that resonate most strongly, and this is a unique opportunity to hear from Bloom himself.
12th / 26th June
Workshop: After Dark Photography @ The Water Poet
£99, 8.30pm
Toby Smith is one of the most exciting photographers working in London today, particularly known for his interest in energy production and an almost magical ability to capture light. Kicking off at the Water Poet, Smith is leading a photo walking tour across London and finishing at the river Thames. Along the way, he'll be letting you in on some of the secrets behind his long-exposure technical wizardry. A great chance for mid-level photographers to learn from the best.
Thursday 21st June
Talk: Henry Fox Talbot @ British Library
£12.50, 10am
Take a journey back to where it all started with John Falconer, Lead Curator at the British Library and expert in 19th century photography. Falconer is discussing the life and works of the great inventor Henry Fox Talbot, one of the early pioneers of photography, who invented the hugely influential calotype process. Patented in 1841, the calotype enabled the production of infinite prints from a single negative, and formed the basis of most photographic practice right up until the emergence of digital.
21st – 29th June
Talk: The Gaddafi Archives @ Warburg Institute
£7.50, Mon-Sun 10am-10pm
For just nine days this June, the Slade Research Centre (part of the Warburg Institute) plays host to an exhibition of photography, documents, artefacts and videos that form a valuable archive of the Gaddafi regime. With over 1,000 images, this is an extremely timely example of the documentary and political power of photography – something clearly close to the hearts of the London Festival of Photography's organisers.
Check out Spoonfed's Top 10 London Photographers.
Click here to see all London exhibitions.
Return to Spoonfed's London Art homepage.
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