In a visit to Seoul, South Korea, this intensely hot summer, we saw a ton of amazing photographic work but Young June Kim’s (South Korea) solo exhibit, Ressemblance (winner MH Talent Portfolio 2024/2025) at Museum Hanmi, Seoul (The Museum of Photography, Seoul – MoPS) (where coincidentally a Martin Parr curated segment of the showMagnum Between Pages 1943–2025 was exhibited at the same time) and Dongsin Seo’s (South Korea) site-specific installation Malfunction of Functional Functionat the inaugural exhibition Storage Story at SeMA-Photography Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, both stood out and stuck with us due to their conceptual rigor, powerful formal execution and refined aesthetic. There's no escaping it: engaging with photographic work in situ creates a more visceral and lasting memory.
In Brasilia, Brazil, Nicola Lo Calzo’s (Italy) deeply researched work Nego Fugido, shown simultaneously in 2 spaces- the National Museum of the Republic and Alliance Française de Brasilia, stood out for it’s conceptual depth and sprawling historical narrative, a performance across colonization histories and the legacy of slavery.
Karolina Wojtas’ (Poland) multi-media installation Abzgram at c/o Berlin struck us with her creative approach and use of space in her sharply ironic response to Poland’s rigid school system. The artist recreates classrooms and playgrounds, across which she chaotically scatters videos and oversaturated color images printed on a variety of materials and objects. The installation encourages engagement with these elements, prompting visitors to momentarily revisit childhood experiences.
Vincent van Gaalen’s (Netherlands) ongoing project Absence was awarded first prize and shown at the BBA Prizes in Berlin. His deep, detailed, inky landscapes create an immersive experience that transport you to the few remaining locations untouched by light pollution.
Having only seen Cast Out of Heaven by Hashem Shakeri (Iran)online we were thrilled to finally see the work in person during EMOP (European Month of Photography) at Anahita Contemporary in Berlin. His minimalistic style, his precise compositions and his muted colour palette emphasize his storytelling.The documentary work here portrays new housing projects built on the outskirts of Tehran and the ensuing impact on those who have to move there. Through his over-exposed images, the series evokes a dreamlike and dystopian world, in which touches of saturated colours highlight the traces of human existence.
We saw Milja’ Laurila’s (Finland) work Untitled Women at Wilhelm Hallen, presented by Persons Projects during Berlin Art Week, and we were instantly drawn to the gaze of nude women in the images in which only their eyes peer out from a small frame while their bodies are concealed by translucent paper. Using archival images from a scientific book from the 1930s, Laurila shifts the perspective, the viewer becomes the observed.
Conversely, Francesca Hummler (Germany/USA) Artem Humilevskyi, (Ukraine), and Devashish Gaur (India) grabbed our attention and maintained it purely via online viewing. Hummler’s practice beckons you in, and there you are held by her idiosyncratic vernacular and strong personal narratives as she seeks to untangle familial trauma. Humilevskyi and Gaur both held our attention through the continuity of their work. While Humilevskyi’s earlier self-portrait nude series Giant is a study of his “non-trivial” body, that same body becomes a political canvas in his most recent project Roots, which he began after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Gaur continues his exploration of masculinity from his ongoing project Playbook for Masculinity to his latest, more personal series This is the Closest We Will Get, an ode to his deceased grandfather and his difficult relationship with his father.
All in all, these ten visual artists possess a rare sticking power, continually reasserting their power in our minds. We encourage you to stop, read and linger and perhaps they will do the same to you.
In other news we attended Paris Photo and visited East Africa. Paris Photo was intense and inspiring, exhausting and exhilarating, overwhelming yet refreshing. New talents, rising artists, established names and masters, new discoveries and rediscoveries - the spectrum was immense. And for those of us working on an online platform, it is always a joy to look at works in print, often at a striking scale. It was a pleasure to see the works of the photographers we have featured and to meet some of them in person. WhileParis Photo had plenty to offer, all across Paris there was an immensity of photo exhibitions, sadly, far too many to see them all.
Disappointingly there was a lack of active contemporary art or photo exhibits in the cities we visited across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania, but back here in New York a noteworthy new exhibition was in preview at MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) last weekend called Africa: Portraiture and Political Imagination. (Dec 14-July 25, 2026). (Keep an eye on our Instagram account for some snippets from this show)
As we were wrapping up this issue, we were truly saddened to hear of the death of the one and only Martin Parr whose unforgettable work and wry humour will be sorely missed.
Another year is almost over. Good wishes for the year to come, 2026.
