Royal Photographic Society announces 57 photographers for its 163rd exhibition

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The RPS has hosted the International Photography Exhibition for over a century; this year will feature powerful images from the pandemic

RPS IPE 163 exhibit selected image
(Image credit: Àsìkò, Spirit in the room, from the series Manifestations.)

The International Photography Exhibition (IPE) is a unique celebration of photography and the world's longest running photography exhibition, held since 1854, and now in its 163rd edition. 57 international photographers have been selected to exhibit images at the Royal Photographic Society, on display at the RPS Gallery in Bristol, UK and available to attend from 16 April to 3 July 2022. 

The exhibition aims to showcase experimental techniques that ignite conversations and give a voice to under-represented communities, demonstrating the breadth of contemporary image-making and storytelling today. IPE 163 will be a powerful exhibition exploring various themes of identity, cultural heritage, gender politics, the natural world, global societal issues, the human condition, and mental health. 

· Read More: Can photography improve your mental health?

Collectively, the IPE 163 exhibition compels us to reimagine the way that we interpret the world, with South Korean photographer KyeongJun Yang receiving the Under 30s Award for images from his series ‘Men Don’t Cry’. Another IPE 163 Award was presented to Tim Franco for his work ‘Unperson – Portraits of North Korean Defectors’.

(Image credit: Tim Franco, Han Song-i, from the series Unperson – Portraits of North Korean Defectors)

Many of the images selected interestingly reflect ideas and personal impacts that are a direct result of the global pandemic, with images displayed that demonstrate hardships and grief, while also conveying resilience and hope. 

· Read More: Documentary photography in a pandemic

Each edition of the IPE invites a guest panel of selected leading voices, with a mix of expertise in areas focused on photography, curating and publishing. Monica Alcazar-Duarte is a non-fiction photographer and member of this year's panel, who says:

"This year’s selection encompasses a variety of issues present in our society in recent years. I can barely wait to see all the selected prints being exhibited together next year. I also hope that this exhibition opens a space for ongoing needed conversations in our society today.”

(Image credit: Julia Fullerton-Batten, Maddison and Family, Lockdown Day 386)

Selected works for this exhibition were chosen anonymously from a worldwide open call where over 8,000 images were entered and submitted by 3,944 photographers from 114 countries, with the final selection for IPE 163 comprising 105 works by 57 photographers. 

The call for submissions to the International Photography Exhibition 164th edition opens on 15 February 2022, with more information to follow. 

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Beth Nicholls
Beth Nicholls
Freelance contributor

Beth kicked off her journalistic career as a staff writer here at Digital Camera World, but has since moved over to our sister site Creative Bloq, where she covers all things tech, gaming, photography, and 3D printing. With a degree in Music Journalism and a Master's degree in Photography, Beth knows a thing or two about cameras – and you'll most likely find her photographing local gigs under the alias Bethshootsbands. She also dabbles in cosplay photography, bringing comic book fantasies to life, and uses a Canon 5DS and Sony A7III as her go-to setup.