IPE167: Photography's Oldest Show Explores Raw Reality

IPE167, the world's longest-running photography exhibition, opens at London's Saatchi Gallery on August 7 and continues until September 11. Selected from over 5,200 submissions, 113 prints represent a success rate below one percent, highlighting the exhibition's prestige. The show spans historic and contemporary photographic techniques, addressing significant social and political issues.

This year's exhibition features two award recipients whose work deeply examines the female experience. Marcy Palmer's "Seeds of Strength and Resilience" uses botanical photography and gold leaf to explore reproductive rights history. Léa Chen's "The Stars That Don't Look Back" weaves personal archives and literature to capture multi-generational female experiences with colonial trauma.

The exhibition further displays a remarkable array of photographic methods. Abbey Hepner's wet-plate collodion portrait of a former uranium town resident and Siân Cann's decaying Polaroid series mirroring visual impairments are notable examples. Works by Attilio Fiumarella protesting a threatened pool closure and Thomas Mandl depicting children displaced by war in Ukraine are also featured.

IPE167 emphasizes photography's power as a language for critical commentary in an age of abundant imagery. After its run in London, the exhibition will tour to Taunton Museum and the Royal Geographical Society. Last year's exhibition drew over 65,000 visitors, indicating its broad reach.