From coverage of process-based methodologies to social documentary, exhibitions opening towards the end of April encompass the breadth of contemporary photographic practice. Engaging with key issues including the environment, race and sexuality, this selection embodies the medium’s ability to make sense of the world.
Another Day in Paradise, Photo House, Brussels
This show brings together work by advertising and fashion photographer Jacques Olivar (b. 1941). Featured in Aesthetica Issue 60, the practitioner combines style with storytelling, producing visually stunning works that reflect the beauty of the scenery whilst pointing towards wider narratives. Until 9 June. Find out more here.
Lee Friedlander in Louisiana, New Orleans Museum of Art
Known for a series of portraits of jazz musicians and artists, Friedlander (b. 1934) offers a study of New Orleans’ street culture. Occupying the space between fine art and documentary photography, the images on display investigate the social and visual landscape of the region through a playful and deeply human approach. Until 12 August. Find out more here.
Inka and Niclas, Dorothée Nilsson Gallery, Berlin
Interested in the manipulation of images, this artistic duo creates highly stylised works. Drawing on environmental themes, a vivid and otherworldly portfolio offers a unique representation of the landscape that explores natural and spiritual phenomena. Using intuition and chance, Inka and Niclas create works that engage with ideas of sublimity. Until 23 June. Find out more here.
Zanele Muholi: Somnyama Ngonyama, New Art Exchange, Nottingham
In creating this series, visual activist Muholi (b. 1972) took a self-portrait each day for a year, responding to the injustices she witnessed in her everyday life, as well as those unfolding across the world. The highly symbolic collection is a powerful assertion of identity, addressing global notions of race, sexuality, gender and ecological consciousness. Until 24 June. Find out more here.
Work in Process, The Photographers’ Gallery, London
Comprising work by contemporary artists Julie Cockburn, Alma Haser, Liz Nielsen, Felicity Hammond and Jessa Fairbrother, Work in Process examines method-based practices that redefine the photographic surface. Approaching image-making from a sculptural perspective, the practitioners transform the picture plane into three-dimensional objects. Until 2 June. Find out more here.
Credits:
1. Another Day in Paradise, Palmdale, California 2011 © Jacques Olivar
2. Lee Friedlander, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1973
3. Inka and Niclas, 4K ULTRA HD I, 2018
4. Zanele Muholi, Kodwa I, Amsterdam, 2017. Courtesy Yancey Richardson Gallery
5. Lee and Clinton, 2017, by Alma Haser
