The UK capital’s leading photography fair, Photo London, launches its 11th edition in its new home at Olympia in Kensington. Running from 13 to 17 May, the event showcases a diverse range of works, from Parisian sex workers and Ibiza party-goers to twins matched across continents.
Debut Galleries and New Sections
Among the highlights is the debut of Agony and Ecstasy gallery, featuring Catalan-Spanish photographer Oriol Maspons and German photographer Walter Rudolph. Their presentation captures Ibiza between 1976 and 1985, a transformative era after Franco but before British tourism reshaped the island. Local galleries like Hackney-based Guest Editions explore home and belonging through Laura McCluskey’s tender interrogation of family ties on the Isle of Sheppey and Thomas Duffield’s series on rebuilding a strained relationship with his father.
Focus on Latin America and Eastern Europe
The new ‘Focus’ section highlights galleries from Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe. Ungallery presents Argentine artists, including Belén Romero Gunset’s self-portraits from her series L Form, which examines stereotypes of lesbian identity. Galeria Monopol showcases Zygmunt Rytka’s ironic reflections on media and political realities.
Japanese Masters and Twinspotting
Akio Nagasawa Gallery presents vintage prints by Daido Moriyama, known for his experimental black-and-white street photography, and Issei Suda’s Fushikaden, capturing festivals in Tokyo and rural Japan. Photoink displays Ketaki Sheth’s Twinspotting, pairing Patel twins in the UK with those in India, exploring sameness and postcolonial significance.
Under-Represented Voices
The ‘Source’ section, curated by Tristan Lund, focuses on marginalised artists. Highlights include Jane Evelyn Atwood’s 50-year career documenting Parisian sex workers and the trans community in Pigalle, as well as Ute and Werner Mahler’s fashion photographs from behind the Berlin Wall during the GDR era.
Photo London runs at Olympia from 13–17 May. Use the code GUARDIAN for a 20% discount on tickets.
