Image: © Fan Ho, Smoky World, 1959, M+, Hong Kong
Light and Magic: The Birth of Art Photography opens today at Tate Modern and runs until 21 February 2027 in the Eyal Ofer Galleries. Tate describes it as the first major exhibition to explore pictorialism as a global movement, tracing how the approach developed around the world from the 1880s to the 1960s.
At the heart of the exhibition are the photographers who became pioneers of the darkroom, transforming understanding of photography and image making. Bringing together more than 200 rare prints by over 80 artists, the show spans a wide geography — from Seoul to Sydney, New York to Cape Town and Brazil to Singapore — and takes what Tate calls a fresh and inclusive look at the history of the medium. Never-before-seen works from around the world are shown alongside pieces from Tate's own collection, highlighting the vast and varied artistic possibilities of photography.
Works highlighted by the museum include Fan Ho's Smoky World (1959), from the collection of M+ in Hong Kong, and Lang Jingshan's Riverside Spring (1942), from the Royal Photographic Society Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Tate's own holdings are represented by works including an untitled photograph by Lionel Wendt, made around 1933–1938, and Luo Bonian's Drawing Water from a Well (1932), acquired by Tate in 2026 with funds from its Photography Acquisitions Committee.
The exhibition is open daily, with late openings on Fridays and Saturdays, and Tate also offers Relaxed Hours on the third Tuesday of each month, which it describes as a quieter time to discover how pictorialism developed across the world.
Tate has published an exhibition guide highlighting five artworks not to miss, and, in a related feature, artist Dr Ajamu X explores how sight, touch and smell can change the way we experience photography.
