Photography and Reform

Dorothea Lange was a trailblazing female photographer committed to capturing raw, honest portraits. A new retrospective opens at MoMA.

5 to See: This Weekend

Aesthetica recommends shows across the UK, US and Europe. They present powerful socio-political and ecological messages through fine art.

Reimagining Home

How do we define the notion of belonging? Works by Bahman Jalali and Gohar Dashti look for answers, transforming the documentary genre.

5 to Read: This Month

A selection of new photography and architecture titles to explore this January. The list comprises compelling self-portraits and bold buildings.

Developing New Talent

The Jerwood/Photoworks Awards support photographers to make new work and develop their practice. 2020’s artists engage with history.

London Art Fair 2020

There are over 100 galleries exhibiting at the 2020 edition of London Art Fair. Aesthetica selects five must-see photographers to watch.

Visions of an Era

American photographer Bruce Davidson travelled to the UK in the autumn of 1960. The resulting visual essay reflects a changing social landscape.

5 to See: This Weekend

Top picks for the start of January 2020 look at diverse interpretations of life around the globe. Storytelling is at the heart of this selection.

Visual Wordplay

There’s a metaphysical quality to Seth Lower’s images. The Los Angeles-based photographer’s new book takes everyday items out of context.

Inquisitive Photography

Sally Mann has spent much of her career asking unsettling questions. She documents America’s southern landscape using 19th century methods.

Cross-Cultural Dialogues

Over the course of 12 weekends from December 2019 to March, an art, music and culture extravaganza descends upon the Al-Ula region.

Radical Design

China’s intense urban growth, paired with investment and the emergence of a middle class, has created a fertile architectural playground.

Celebrating Female Practitioners

The Max Mara Art Prize for Women. The only visual art award for women in the UK, the prize is due to be announced in early 2020,

Collaborative Philosophy

The 1930s were a particularly fertile moment in British architectural history. Marking the Bauhaus centenary, RIBA sheds new light.

Illuminating Audiences

Large-scale installations populate London’s annual Winter Lights festival. It brings audiences together to sit, dance, play and absorb.

5 to See: Festive Light Shows

Aesthetica collates inspiring illuminations to see this festive period – transforming historic buildings and city streets in intriguing ways.

Micro Narratives

Nuno Serrão’s images consider how information is handled, shared and perceived, demonstrating a sensitivity and a curiosity for the planet.

Elevated Deserts

Greet Van Hootegem roams desolate desert lands, revelling in the subtle textures of mountain formations, lone huts and empty roads.

Moving Explorations

Lance Chang uses distortion and blur to enhance the movement and dreamlike quality of his photographs. Resembling the waves of the aurora borealis, his art taps into beautiful and, at times, foreboding worlds.

Individual Perspectives

Through video works Heesoo Agnes Kim plays upon the notion of dreams and deals with issues of identity and the social influences that affect how a personality is constructed.

Evolving Perspectives

National Museum Cardiff looks at the ever-changing story of photography in a new season, presenting work from four influential names.

Illuminated Landscape

A field of fallen moons shines at sunset. A sea of glowing spheres stretches into the distance. These are the sights created by Bruce Munro.

Global Transformation

Helene Schmitz is an environmental photographer. The works reveal humanity’s unprecedented impact on the earth’s wild places and landscapes.

Narrative Presence

American author Wright Morris started photographing in 1933. He recorded the aftermath of the Great Depression in the US.

5 to See: This Weekend

Borders, ecological crisis and the human condition. These are the themes explored in this week’s recommended photography exhibitions.

Evocative Moments

An anonymous figure darts through the rain. Smoke billows in the darkness. A sense of mystery can be found in René-Jacques’ images.

Aesthetica Creative Writing Award: Winners Announced

The winners of the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award have been announced, celebrating excellence in contemporary poetry and fiction.

Reality and Myth

Mark Power’s ‘Good Morning, America’ is a series capturing a moment of change. It traverses the US, revealing a fictional world that never existed.

Towing the Line

Italian photographer Maria Maglionico offers a correlation between the foreground and background of images – they seamlessly blend into one another.

5 to See: This Weekend

Aesthetica’s picks for 7-8 December look to the power of art as a form of communication, offering intimate photography and immersive installation.

Formative Portraits

Francesca Woodman took her first photograph at the age of thirteen. MCA Denver explores how the artist discovered a unique creative voice.

Timeless Design

Swiss luxury skincare brand La Prairie explores its connection with Bauhaus – presenting linear set designs and foregrounding a synthesis with art.

Christmas Gift Guide 2019

Aesthetica selects 10 ideas for art and culture lovers. This list offers a variety of inspiration – including gallery memberships, gift sets and more.

Reframing History

Malaga Island is an uninhabited place located off the coast of Maine, US. American artist Theaster Gates explores its troubled past in new works.

Fluidity and Invention

A new publication foregrounds an age of innovation and experimentation, pushing the boundaries of architecture through poetic and geometric forms.

Art for Connectivity

Artist and innovator Doug Aitken is at the forefront of 21st century communication, presenting a space between the physical and virtual.

Qualities of Daylight

Reflected mountain ranges. Splashes of water. White clouds drifting past. Morozova’s images complement natural elements with bold, colourful fashion.

Deserted Locations

How do we define the notion of home? What happens when a house is left behind? Gohar Dashti’s images reveal the true power of nature.

Panning the Landscape

Guillaume Simoneau’s works are crisp, bright and clean, presenting a diverse and compelling depiction of Canada’s topographies.

More to the Picture

Portraits reveal truths about the human condition – how we present ourselves to the world. Bey explores the dialogue between sitter and subject.

Scientific Perspective

Sitting between photography and field research, Eddo Hartmann’s images depict the vulnerability of ecosystems in the age of post-industrialisation.

Playful Silhouettes

Inspired by the busy streets on the island of Corsica, So AsA began to build up a portfolio of silhouettes, having originally shot in black and white.

Powerful Storytelling

A groundbreaking photography series depicts one of the world’s most important ecological locations as well as its diverse cultural narratives.

Distant Suburbia

Thomas Jordan is influenced by the northwest Chicago suburbs. These compositions transform everyday scenes into jewel-tone utopias.

Subtle Framing

Ian Howorth’s cinematic images, captured through analogue film, revel in the authenticity of opportunity, spontaneity and chance.

Animating the Everyday

Photographer Olivia Jeczmyk’s series focuses on simplicity and geometry – drawing attention to household items through minimalist design.

Enduring Darkness

Aleksander Malachowski is a Warsaw-based, working at the intersection of photography, geometry and symmetry.

Connecting the Dots

BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art’s latest show is a timely and necessary celebration of Judy Chicago and her contributions to contemporary art.

Broadening Horizons

Kent’s Studio 3 Gallery showcases local art through open submissison. It displays the rich variety of creative practice in the region.

5 to See: This Weekend

Must-see shows for early December offer all-encompassing experiences. Light installations look towards perception and wellbeing.