Exhibition, Turner Contemporary, Margate, 22nd February – 18th May 2025
Resistance
Header image: Paul Trevor, Anti-racists gather to block the route of National Front demonstration,
New Cross Road, London, August 1977 © Paul Trevor
Curated by Steve McQueen, tomorrow sees the opening of a new exhibition in Margate that charts the impact of protest, spanning multiple styles of imagery and a host of respected photographers.
left: Keith Pattison, Police operation to get the first returning miner into the pit. Joanne, Gillian and Kate Handy with Brenda Robinson, Easington Colliery, Durham, 24 August 1984 © Keith Pattison
right: Pam Isherwood, Stop Clause 28 march, Whitehall, London, 9 January 1988 © Bishopsgate Institute
Excerpt from press release:
How protest shaped Britain and photography shaped protest
‘Turner Contemporary is pleased to announce Resistance, an exhibition conceived by acclaimed artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen and curated in collaboration with Clarrie Wallis. Opening on 22 February 2025, the exhibition will explore how acts of resistance have shaped life in the UK and the powerful role of photography in documenting and driving change. A major new publication, released by 4th Estate, will accompany the exhibition.
Renowned for amplifying underrepresented voices, McQueen contributes a compelling exploration of overlooked histories, shedding light on the forgotten stories of individuals whose actions have helped define Britain’s history.
Presenting a century of activism, Resistance will span from the radical suffrage movement in 1903 to the largest-ever protest in Britain’s history—the Anti-Iraq War Protest in 2003. The exhibition will bring together works by renowned photographers such as Vanley Burke, Henry Grant, Fay Godwin, Edith Tudor-Hart, Tish Murtha, Humphrey Spender, Christine Spengler, Andrew Testa, Paul Trevor and Janine Wiedel, alongside less-known photographers who documented these powerful stories.
left: Henry Grant, Anti-nuclear protesters marching to Aldermaston, Berkshire, May 1958
© Henry Grant Collection/London Museum
right: Portrait of Steve McQueen, © Thomas Dane Gallery, Photo: James Stopforth
Resistance is made possible by the Ampersand Foundation; Clarrie Wallis, Director of Turner Contemporary, was awarded The Ampersand Foundation Award in 2023 to realise Resistance.
Resistance is curated by Steve McQueen and Clarrie Wallis, with Emma Lewis. Political research is by Sarah Harrison. The exhibition is produced by Tessa Pierce, with assistance from Brittany Crombie.’
Resistance runs from 22 February until 1 June 2025
Turner Contemporary, Rendezvous, Margate CT9 1HG – open 10am to 5pm, Wednesday to Sunday (please check website for details before visiting)
Click here for more information and to book tickets
All images and exhibition details are copyrighted as listed and should not be reproduced without permission
Feature added by Callum
Published 21st February 2025
Breaking Glass Magazine 