Photo London, 10 Years Old!
Despite a decade punctuated by Brexit and the Covid health crisis, the fair has managed to impose its dynamism. It is one of the leading photography events in Great Britain, a country where the market is reaching maturity.
When he launched Photo London with Fariba Farshad in 2015, Michael Benson made no secret of his ambition to make London a stronghold for photography, and even surpass Paris Photo. In 2003, the couple co-founded Candlestar, a company specializing in the consultancy, creation and development of cultural projects, the most notable of which is the Prix Pictet, created in 2008. With a purse of more than €100,000, this award is supported by over 350 “nominators” from across the globe. This international network, the reputation of the prize and their expertise form a solid foundation. “The first and probably most important step was the support of Maja Hoffmann’s Luma Foundation, followed by the Financial Times,” recalls Michael Benson. The game was not won in view of the unsuccessful attempts to establish a presence in the early 2000s, most recently in 2007 by Reed Exhibitions, owner of Paris Photo. In addition to the crisis of 2008, this failure was due to a lack of local roots and an underdeveloped British photographic scene, particularly in institutions such as the Tate Modern, which only opened its photography department in 2009. Compared to France, Germany or the United States, this multiple art form was neglected by collectors, even though there are many – and wealthy – in the English capital. However, in the mid-2010s, a general turning point was reached, as evidenced by the advent of Photo Basel – admittedly modest – alongside the Swiss contemporary art fair, and that of Paris Photo Los Angeles by Reed Exhibitions – which finally came to an end in 2016. Aipad New York, the doyenne founded in 1979 by mainly American dealers and gallery owners, is still around. Not to mention Paris Photo, the sovereign born in 1997, which took a decisive step forward with its move to the Grand Palais in 2013.
For Paris Photo regulars, first-time exhibitors at Photo London may be surprised to see less vintage, a more eclectic range of works and a lower price tag, rarely exceeding €50,000.
Fariba Farshad and Michael Benson know: the date and location of a fair are fundamental. They chose May (Paris Photo is in November) and the prestigious Somerset House, right in the heart of London, on the banks of the Thames. A prestigious and atypical venue, with a succession of small and medium-sized rooms offering the perfect setting to display photography, the art of intimacy. In 2015, Candlestar attracted major international galleries – Howard Greenberg and Edwynn Houk (New York) and Thomas Zander (Cologne) – and received the support of local institutions such as the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The founders also understood the need to accompany and educate the public. A classic program of lectures and exhibitions by “masters” – including Sebastião Salgado, Valérie Belin, Don McCullin and Shirin Neshat – completes the commercial side, as do historical explorations of the work – Roger Fenton, Henry Fox Talbot and Robert Capa – and thematic presentations, such as the French calotype from 1846 to 1860 in 2024. This year, as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations, the exhibition pays tribute to the city of London, with some thirty artists: James Barnor, David Bailey, Julia Fullerton Batten, Karen Knorr, Christian Marclay…
An Atypical Selection That’s So Britkitsch!
For Paris Photo regulars, first-time exhibitors at Photo London may be surprised to see less vintage, a more eclectic range of works and a lower price tag, rarely exceeding €50,000. Historical and modern works are present, but not as much, in favor of fashion, large-format nudes and flower bouquets, rock star portraits and photojournalism: genres that are rare at other fairs. Whether you call it “English taste” or kitsch, Photo London shakes up the usual standards. In fact, on some stands, this atypical offering is combined with cabinet-of-curiosities-style hangings. Over time, this approach has also made the fair more attractive in this cosmopolitan city, and the quality of presentations has improved. Reflecting the evolution of the market, it also welcomes more and more generalists: “Although the majority of our galleries are solely dedicated to photography, the balance is clearly shifting to embrace other art forms and explore new frontiers”. One of its hallmarks is also its ability to renew itself – up to 30% new participants for certain editions – and to innovate: “As early as 2016, we decided to expand the fair by creating the Central Pavilion, set up in the courtyard, and in 2017, we opened the ‘Discovery’ sector under the curatorship of Tristan Lund (artistic advisor and exhibition curator, editor’s note)”. These two initiatives have forged Photo London’s identity: the Pavilion’s open space offers more scenographic possibilities for large formats. This ephemeral building has quickly become the popular – and more expensive – place to be. As for “Discovery”, bringing together young galleries dedicated to emerging artists (admitted at preferential prices), it has contributed to the fair’s growing reputation by opening it up to experimental work, a strong current on the contemporary scene where one-off works dominate.
One of the fair’s hallmarks is also its ability to renew itself – with up to 30% new participants for certain editions.
An Independent Book Market
Continuing on the path of innovation, this year’s organizers have entrusted the direction to Sophie Parker – who has been part of the team since 2018 -, and are inaugurating two major new features: the “Positions” sector, dedicated to unrepresented artists supported by collectors, created on the model of the unRepresented fair in France. And an independent book market, concentrated over the weekend: enough to attract a new audience who can’t necessarily afford to buy a print. Photo London’s tour de force is to have withstood “the terrible twins”, as Michael Benson calls them with all-English humor: “The utter madness of that act of national self-mutilation we called the Brexit and the pandemic. But these two events also helped shape the fair”. Indeed, the event has remained international in scope, with an average of twenty countries represented per edition, and recently opened up to Turkey thanks to a partnership with Turkish Bank. At the same time, it has continued to attract local galleries, compensating for the desertion of foreign exhibitors put off by post-Brexit taxes. Another initiative in 2020, when the physical edition was cancelled, was the launch of its “Academy”: a free educational digital platform that continues to offer a year-round extension of the fair. The British government has made no mistake: Photo London is the only fair to have received cultural stimulus funding after Covid. Enough to keep the flame burning for the 42,000 visitors who walk its aisles – the vast majority from the UK – whose numbers have more than doubled since 2015. “Among them, more and more museum groups from the United States, France, Italy, Germany and the Nordic countries,” Michael Benson points out. While Photo London hasn’t dethroned Paris Photo, with its hundred or so exhibitors, it is part of the landscape of photo fairs that count.
Worth Knowing
Photo London, Somerset House, London
From May 15 to 18, 2025.
photolondon.org
