In this week’s must-see exhibitions, artists from Africa, Asia, Europe and the West Indies visualise everyday realities through photography.

Vibrant colours. Abstracted figures. Enclosed spaces. Christina Quarles creates bright and complex paintings loaded with meaning.

The iconic architecture of York Minster is transformed by ‘Northern Lights’ – a sound and light installation that unites past and present.

Antwaun Sargent’s bold publication addresses a history of exclusion, provoking dialogues about representation, sexuality, gender and identity.

Six N. Five’s Co-Existe series is a collaborative project fuelled by a shared love of finding tranquil moments in an otherwise chaotic world.

A new series and collaborative project highlights the effects of the anthropocene, a geological age defined by humanity’s impact on the planet.

The October / November edition is about rejecting the divisions that are being brought about by certain global leaders. We must stand together.

Wrapping cord around silk, inserting pins into fruit and elevating the status of quail eggs, Daniel Forero’s set designs are taut, balanced and, at times, comedic.

There’s a Hopper-like sense of mystery to Roderick Vos’ work; paper planes fly through portal-like windows; mist descends onto a dinner table.

Shirin Neshat studies individual and cultural gestures, representing some of the most unstable, charged and conflicted moments of recent history.

Frieze London returns to Regent’s Park for 2019. Aesthetica navigates this year’s expansive programme, selecting must-attend events.

Simon Kerola is a Swedish photographer inspired by the films of Terence Hill and Bud Spencer. He “explores the romance in melancholia.”

Ryanna Allen explores the female experience. She is part of the Aesthetica x LCC Next Generation, featured in the August / September issue.

Global shows explore themes of utopia, identity and artificial intelligence, offering visions of the future at a time of climate and political crisis.

The Other Art Fair returns to London with bold colours and bright ideas. Emerging conceptual artists explore the landscape and climate action.

London’s Karnik Gallery is a new platform showcasing work by contemporary practitioners who draw from artistic traditions of the past.

The Cardiff-based Artes Mundi prize returns for 2019 with a powerful shortlist, celebrating artists who engage with social reality and experience.

David van Dartel’s self-portraits appear out of soft, serene landscapes – figures reflected in deep blue water or emerging from tall dune grasses.

Lush yellows, radiant oranges and glowing reds. David Benjamin Sherry reimagines the surface of the US landscape in bright monochrome.

Doug Aitken is exploring the rapidly changing relationships between human beings in an age dominated by technology and constant feeds.