Open Eye Gallery unveils new exhibition, No Iconic Images

When we talk about war photography, we often think of iconic images – photographs that shape how conflicts are perceived and remembered. Some even influence political decisions and societal shifts.

But could a single photograph stand for the whole? Are there iconic images today? Do they need to exist? What images of conflicts do we need? Do we believe in what we see? There are so many questions to ask when talking about the representations of war. 

Magnum Photos has established itself as a leading group of photographers who have created iconic images covering the conflicts of the 21st century. However, warfare, media and photography itself have changed significantly in the last decades. In this exhibition, the new generation of Magnum photographers, Peter van Agtmael and Newsha Tavakolian, offer their perspectives on the wars they witnessed and experienced in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. 

The Guardian reports on major news worldwide 24/7, with the best photojournalists offering their views of wars and conflicts around the globe, from Haiti to Myanmar. The exhibition aims to visualise the decisions made by journalists and editors when working with war photography today. 

Forensic Architecture and the Centre for Spatial Technologies scrupulously investigate a war event – the 2022 attack on Kyiv TV Tower – while simultaneously revealing the profound narratives buried under the landscape. 

Balancing on the borderline between photography and cinematography, Yarema Malashchuk and Roman Khimei challenge the Western aesthetic tradition and the modes in which representations of the dead operate within the public domain. 

Exhibition curators Max Gorbatskyi and Viktoria Bavykina said:

“The exhibition No Iconic Images. Views of War explores contemporary depictions of conflict. As the world burns and images circulate faster than ever, it examines recent wars and how they are portrayed and reflected upon through photography”.

Find more information on the Open Eye Gallery website.

Find all the latest Liverpool news here.