Moving into August, this week’s top exhibitions reflect upon life in cities around the world through bold photography and installation.

Technology is the signifier of our times, with people checking smartphones every 12 minutes. The 2018 Aesthetica Art Prize responds to this.

A photography show at Museum Ludwig, Cologne, questions the boundaries between fine art and documentary genres.

Curated by the Michael Reid Gallery in Berlin, the Australian Embassy in Paris showcases 22 leading figures in contemporary photography.

Unseen Amsterdam highlights the latest developments in fine art photography. Aesthetica collates a list of 2018’s must-see artists.

Influenced by humanity’s fascination with the nature of the everyday, Romain Veillon’s photographs inhabit a world of testimony and nostalgia.

Sisters Sally Ann and Emily May Gunawan return to Aesthetica with a shoot inspired by the Australian landscape and Pacific Ocean.

Continuing an ongoing support of emerging talent, Next Generation is an annual collaboration with LCC that celebrates the work of graduates.

Kevin Krautgartner’s works focus on geometric elements from the evolving landscape, revelling in bold structures set against an immaculate skyline.

Using patterns and data from intelligent surveillance systems, Esther Hovers’ images have been crafted around the detection of criminal behaviour.

Brooke DiDonato creates rich, palpable images that document a new kind of reality – taking figures from the realms of the everyday into a state of flux.

James Casebere devises table-top models, creating thought-provoking and visually deceptive images that have accrued international acclaim.

The August / September edition, Global Initiatives, looks at sustainable ways of living across range of disciplines, documenting the human story.

Vogue Like A Painting at GL Strand, Copenhagen, establishes visual and thematic links between fashion photography and fine art.

Alfred Seiland’s body of work offers a bright synthesis of colour and light, combining  analog techniques with contemporary aesthetics.

An exhibition at Ibasho Gallery celebrates the work of contemporary Japanese photographers, reflecting on the fast pace of everyday life.

For over ten years, Nuremberg-based photographer Christian Höhn has captured the world’s largest cities and transport networks.

Capturing the everyday landscape, Vishal Marapon’s images connect with changing cities and the material effects of gentrification and development.

Iconic work by Stephen Shore is highlighted as part of Edwynn Houk Gallery’s Summer Show, which delves into a diverse collection.

Aesthetica selects five must-see photography exhibitions open 28-29 July. Each offers conceptual responses to contemporary life.