From innovative 21st century software to pioneering post-war photography, shows opening at the end of October hold up a mirror to society.

In conversation, 2017 Aesthetica Art Prize finalist Sara Morowetz considers what it means to combine art and science in practice.

Edward Burtynsky’s large scale images – now on view at Flowers Gallery, London – offer abstracted aerial views of humanity’s industrial impact.

The first UK solo show of work by FOAM Talent 2017 winner Vasantha Yogananthan is inspired by the Indian legend of The Ramayana.

Japan Modern highlights powerful photographic work by 20th century Japanese practitioners, exploring urban and rural environments.

From wearable technology to AI-assisted cameras, this selection offers a range of interactive, forward-thinking everyday solutions.

Living with Buildings at Wellcome Collection, London, examines how urban structures influence society’s health and well being.

Space, Light and Time: Edward Woodman, A Retrospective foregrounds enduring images of 20th century artworks from renowned artists.

Part of Homotopia Festival 2018, Wake up Together at Open Eye Gallery champions the rights of individuals around the world. 

Design To Shape Light transforms perceptions of space through compositions inspired by thoughtful illumination and sculptural forms.

Aesthetica’s must-see shows for mid-October investigate the politics of image-making through documentary, post-production and installation.

After delving into commercial photography, Matthew Dempsey looked towards creating original work with draws a line between artifice and fine art.

Elmgreen & Dragset’s The Whitechapel Pool is a site-specific, derelict arena that reflects on gentrification and the fate of local amenities. 

Aesthetica Art Prize finalist Liz West is featured in a new book highlighting practitioners working at the cutting edge of light-based practice.

The Atlantic Project: After the Future is a new contemporary festival addressing today’s era of uncertainty and changing perceptions of art.

Winner of the 12th Foam Paul Huf Award, photographer Daniel Shea captures the effects of capitalism on the urban landscape.

Phaidon’s Living in the Desert is a visually striking compilation of buildings situated against the stark backdrop of desert landscapes. 

The colourful, 10-metre high Liverpool Mountain by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone marks a variety of key cultural milestones within the city.

Looking towards the future of creative practice, Affordable Art Fair Battersea showcases contemporary work by new, international artists.

Two exhibitions of fashion and portrait photography by Marilyn Stafford open across the UK this autumn, exploring a diverse oeuvre.

Compass Festival bursts onto the streets of Leeds this November, bringing live art and interactive encounters to cultural venues and city streets. 

Haroon Mirza’s works transform the gallery space through moving imagery, sculptural installation and electronic sound, questioning perception.

Chilean studio ELEMENTAL built its reputation on an innovative and pragmatic approach to social housing in the Chilean capital Santiago. 

Looking to the 21st century experience for inspiration, a selection of visionaries occupies the changing boundaries between truth and fiction.

Navigating the theme of Space, photography prize Prix Pictet investigates pressing subjects such overpopulation and the digital age. 

A retrospective of Japanese architect Tadao Ando collates 50 major projects, demonstrating an interest in simplicity and urban space. 

Recent Histories at Huis Marseille examines identity, migration and the legacy of colonialism through work by emerging African artists.

Society has never been so connected. A new publication and exhibition, Civilization, responds to the rapid pace of global development.

Brassaï is known for capturing enigmatic images of Paris during the interwar years. A new exhibition at SFMOMA reveals hidden depths.

Based between China and the UK, Feng Zhixuan specialises in socialist public art, crafting works that critically engage with the world around us. Zhixuan’s work appears in the current issue of the magazine.

Luke Evans discovered photography through a long-term interest in physics and organic sciences – which has later fed into deeply calculative images.

Tom Blachford’s Midnight Modern transforms California’s iconic mid-century Modernist architecture into surreal playgrounds.

Patricia Abramovich’s paintings, textile design and wearable art are inspired by the merging of colour and the rhythms of a meditative process of painting.

The four buildings shortlisted for the RIBA International Prize 2018 combine visionary design with an educational and ecological focus.

Vestiges d’empire by Thomas Jorion documents buildings in the former French colonies, shedding light on their poignant, deeply human histories. 

International awards, photography festivals and solo shows looks to national and personal identities through photography and architecture.

The result of a five-year renovation project by Sanders Architect, the new Nationalmuseum – Swedish Museum of Fine Arts and Design, opens.

Dubai-based fair Downtown Design returns for 2018, celebrating contemporary ranges by brands from the Middle East and beyond.

Hannah Perry’s works – on view at Somerset House – engage with the poignant human experience of loss through a range of disciplines.

Gail Albert Halaban’s Out My Window comprises carefully staged images, blurring the lines between public and private, reality and fantasy.

David Stewart’s Paid Content highlights notions of disconnection and media saturation in the 21st century, offering carefully constructed scenes.

Through a bold use of colour and a strong flash, Lars Tunbjörk captured striking everyday observations of an increasingly globalised world. 

Henri Prestes is a Portuguese cinematographer and photographer based in southern Europe. The Perfect Darkness series was shot in isolated villages.

Striking, innovative and conceptually rich, this selection of cultural institutions combines form and function to offer dynamic settings.

A new series by Marietta Varga engages with feelings of absence and nostalgia, looking to vacant interior spaces for inspiration.

Between Art & Fashion at Helmut Newton Foundation paints a picture of a life spent living at the intersection of fine art and high fashion.

A new publication from Phaidon offers a groundbreaking survey of the colour red in the built environment through bright imagery.

Anja Niemi’s collection questions notions of gender and conformity, forming part of an ongoing investigation into the self and its limits. 

A collection of images looks to the vast Australian landscape to express poignant human narratives, cultural history and environmental awareness.

2016 Aesthetica Art Prize winner Rachel Ara presents a talk on her practice, V&A residency research and response to the museum’s data.