Light and Magic
Discover the untold global story of art photography
at the Tate Modern, 14 October 2026 - 21 February 2027
A group exhibition exploring the beginnings of pictorial photography, including Fan Ho
Fan Ho, Smokey World, Hong Kong 1959 (© Fan Ho Estate)
Light and Magic is the first major exhibition to explore pictorialism as a global movement. Discover how artists became pioneers of the darkroom, transforming our understanding of photography and image making.
Bringing together over 200 rare prints by over 80 artists from Hong Kong to Sydney, New York to Cape Town and Brazil to Singapore, this truly international exhibition takes a fresh and inclusive look at the history of photography.
“This is probably our first ever revisionist photography exhibition,” says Charmaine Toh, the Tate’s senior curator of international art photography. “In the past we’ve celebrated certain movements or certain themes. But this time we wanted to do something different.” Toh defines Pictorialism as “fundamentally, a desire for photography to be accepted as fine art”, and the pioneers of the style were the smoky, atmospheric pictures by the likes of Alfred Stieglitz, Clarence Hudson White and Henry Peach Robinson. These were photographers in the late 19th and early 20th century who sought to manipulate the visual elements as a direct response to the idea that photography was an objective record of its subject. (Quotes from ‘The Art Newspaper)
Featuring never-before seen works from around the world alongside pieces from Tate’s Collection, Light and Magic highlights the vast and varied artistic possibilities of photography as a medium.
Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG
14 October 2026 - 22 February 2027
Plan your visit
https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/light-and-magic
Press Received:
Webwire, The Art Newspaper, British Journal of Photography, Apollo Magazine