Tate Modern opens global pictorialism photography exhibition

The Tate Modern in London has opened ‘Light and Magic’, a major exhibition exploring pictorialism as a global photographic movement. Starting from 1880, the exhibition examines how pictorialism transformed photography from a purely documentary tool into a recognized fine art discipline.

Moving beyond traditional European and North American focuses, the showcase expands the movement’s geographic and chronological scope to include South America, Asia, and Australia, extending its timeline into the 1960s. The exhibition is organized into four thematic chapters and features 200 vintage prints by 80 different photographers.

Featured artists include established figures such as Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Ilse Bing, Max Dupain, and Aleksandr Rodchenko. The collection also highlights lesser-known photographers like Long Chin-san, Luo Bonian, and Shapoor N. Bhedwar, illustrating the diverse styles, motifs, and techniques used by practitioners to create expressive, painterly images.