“Photography in Power: Making Worlds Visible”

TOM OF FINLAND Tom & Tom Katt, 1984 © Tom of Finland Foundation

The exhibition celebrates the force and impact of the photographers whose stories have been shared at Fotografiska. It is a tribute to their lifelong commitment to photography that has profoundly shaped how we see the world, look at it, and perceive it today.

The exhibition brings together 127 artists, including iconic figures of fine art photography. It also brings together a diverse range of contemporary photographic voices, including both international names and Estonian artists. Many of them engage with the defining tensions of our time–exploring conflict, power relations, and social pressures, while weaving together documentary  and staged approaches.

Making worlds visible

The exhibition moves through the landscapes of inner worlds, the visible and hidden societal tensions, and the fragile balance between humanity and nature. It also brings forward the paradoxes of beauty and representation – we look at beauty, glamour, and fashion culture as a mirror, at times clear, at times distorted. Here, vulnerability and resistance, intimacy and distance, identity and belonging intertwine.

Across this spectrum, photography reveals its depth, diversity, and force – it is not merely a technique, but a way of seeing and understanding the world. Different modes of photographic expression emerge through the exhibition’s themes, each carrying its own character and energy.

It brings together international stars Helmut Newton, Robert Mapplethorpe, Richard Avedon, Refik Anadol, Ellen von Unwerth, Paolo Roversi, Martin Schoeller, Lars Tunbjörk, Sarah Moon, Peter Lindbergh, David LaChapelle, Jimmy Nelson, and Tom of Finland.

Untitled, 2014 © Ren Hang, exhibited in 2017.

• Monday–Thursday 9a–8p
• Friday 9a–midnight
• Saturday 10a–8p
• Sunday 1a–9p