Photography in Power

With the exhibition Photography in Power: Making Worlds Visible, we celebrate the force and impact of the photographers whose stories we have had the privilege to share 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 125 artists, including iconic figures of fine art photography – among them 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 many others.

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 (such as James Nachtwey) and staged (such as Alison Jackson) approaches.

Making worlds visible

The exhibition moves thorugh 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 fluid themes, each carrying its own character and energy.

The works brought together within these themes create contrasts and complement one another – through their interplay, new connections and visual narratives emerge. Through this interplay, a space emerges where self-exploration, power, vulnerability, and the pressures of our time become visible, giving rise to a synergy shaped by the power of photography.

Alongside internationally renowned photographers, the exhibition also brings back local Estonian artists who have been part of Fotografiska Tallinn’s exhibition programme over the years: Toomas Volkmann, DeStudio (Herkki-Erich Merila and Peeter Laurits), Anna-Stina Treumund, Heikki Leis, Lembit Peegel, Cloe Jancis, Kaupo Kikkas, Tanja Muravskaja, Marlen Kärema, and Ivar Veermäe.

The exhibition also includes Finnish artists such as Pentti Sammallahti, Tom of Finland, Arno Rafael Minkkinen, Aapo Huhta, and Akseli Valmunen.

Fotografiska Tallinn 7

Fotografiska has always been a place where photography takes the center stage – as a language, a gaze, a magnifying glass. Here, images have opened doors, sparked conversations, and reflected a world in constant change.

The first version of the exhibition was presented in Stockholm in 2025 to mark Fotografiska’s 15th anniversary, bringing together works by 120 artists under the title 15 Fotografiska Years.

With the Tallinn exhibition, we also celebrate Fotografiska Tallinn’s 7th anniversary. The initial presentation, created in Stockholm, has here been expanded with both Estonian artists and works that speak to themes particularly relevant to us – such as James Nachtwey’s photo series on the war in Ukraine.

Alongside this exhibition, we also present Fotografiska Tallinn’s first Emerging Artists exhibition, bringing forward young photographic voices from the Baltics and Finland. Together, these exhibitions invite you to celebrate photography – its history, its present, and its unfolding future – and to ask: What is a photograph, what is its power, and what can a photo become?