Tate Modern Explores Global Reach of Pictorialism in "Light and Magic"
"Light and Magic: The Birth of Art Photography" opens at Tate Modern in London, marking the first comprehensive examination of pictorialism as a worldwide phenomenon. This exhibition delves into the progression of photography from 1880 through the 1960s, disputing the idea that the movement diminished in the 1920s. Divided into four sections, it showcases 200 vintage prints from 80 photographers, featuring renowned artists such as Ilse Bing, Alfred Stieglitz, and Edward Weston, along with lesser-known contributors like Long Chin-san. A portion of the exhibit focuses on printing techniques and includes a functional darkroom for attendees. The event is scheduled from 14 October 2026 to 21 February 2027 at Bankside, SE1 9TG.
Key facts
- "Light and Magic: The Birth of Art Photography" opens at Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG
- Dates: 14 October 2026 to 21 February 2027
- Described as the first extensive exhibition studying pictorialism as a global photographic movement
- Features 200 vintage prints by 80 photographers across four thematic chapters
- Chronology begins in 1880 and extends to the 1960s, rather than ending in the 1920s
- Geographic scope includes South America, Asia and Australia alongside Europe and North America
- A working darkroom will operate on selected days for visitors
- Photographers represented include Ilse Bing, Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Edward Weston, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Josef Sudek, Max Dupain, Long Chin-san, Luo Bonian, Lionel Wendt and Shigeru Onishi
Entities
Artists
- Ilse Bing
- Langdon Coburn
- Max Dupain
- Adolph de Meyer
- Aleksandr Rodchenko
- Alfred Stieglitz
- Paul Strand
- Josef Sudek
- Edward Weston
- Long Chin-san
- Lang Jingshan
- Luo Bonian
- Shapoor N. Bhedwar
- Emma Barton
- Peter Henry Emerson
- Bertram Park
- Yvonne Gregory
- Cavendish Morton
- Yevonde
- Lionel Wendt
- Shigeru Onishi
- Edward Steichen
- Soichi Sunami
- Martha Graham
- Ho Fan
- Clarence H. White
- Thomas Frederick Goodall
- Charmaine Toh
- Genevieve Barton
- Kazeem Adeleke
Institutions
- Tate Modern
- Tate
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- M+
- Royal Photographic Society
- Guangshe
- The New Line Group
- Photographic Society of Singapore
- Seattle Camera Club
- Camera Work
- Shashinkai
- USSR in Construction
- masdearte.com
- Estate of Ho Fan
- Artcentron
- Shashinkai: The Monthly Photographic Journal
- Tate Publishing
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Shanghai
- China
- South Korea
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
- Japan
- United States
- New Mexico
- Seattle
- Hong Kong
- Europe
- North America
- South America
- Asia
- Australia
- Americas
- Rome
- Bankside
Sources
- Masdearte —
- Artcentron —