Arts & Culture

The Theatre of War

An exhibition exploring the theatricality of War through a unique selection of prints by Magnum photographers

Magnum Photographers

Tim Hetherington Young rebel fighter with grenade. Liberia, 2003. C-Print, 36x36". Edition of 18. © Tim Hetherington | Magnum Photos
Tim Hetherington Untitled. Liberia, 2003. C-Print, 47x47". Edition of 18. © Tim Hetherington | Magnum Photos
Tim Hetherington Untitled. Liberia, 2003. C-Print, 36x36". Edition of 18. © Tim Hetherington | Magnum Photos
Tim Hetherington Untitled. Liberia, 2003. C-Print, 36x36". Edition of 18. © Tim Hetherington | Magnum Photos
Tim Hetherington Untitled. Liberia, 2003. C-Print, 36x36". Edition of 18. © Tim Hetherington | Magnum Photos
Tim Hetherington Untitled. Liberia, 2003. C-Print, 36x36". Edition of 18. © Tim Hetherington | Magnum Photos
Moises Saman Afghanistan, 2010. C-Print, 20x30". Edition of 8. © Moises Saman | Magnum Photos
Moises Saman Makeshift Swing. Syria, 2013. C-Print, 20x30" Edition of 8. © Moises Saman | Magnum Photos
Moises Saman A playground damaged during fighting. Aleppo, Syria. 2013. C Print, 16x20". Edition of 20. © Moises Saman | Magnum Photos
Moises Saman Protestors taking shelter. Egypt, 2013. C-Print, 16x20". Edition of 20. © Moises Saman | Magnum Photos
Peter van Agtmael Helicopter coming in to land. Afghanistan, 2007. C-Print, 16x20". Edition of 10. © Peter van Agtmael | Magnum Photos
Jérôme Sessini Frontline in the Old City. Syria, 2013. C-Print, 50x60cm. Edition of 7. © Jérôme Sessini | Magnum Photos
Jérôme Sessini Libya, 2011. C-Print, 50x60cm. Edition of 7. © Jérôme Sessini | Magnum Photos
Robert Capa © International Center of Photography Republican soldiers. Aragon Front. Spain, 1936. Estate Stamped Silver Gelatin Print, 14x11". Additional sizes available. © Robert Capa © International Center of Photography | Magnum Photos
Robert Capa © International Center of Photography Members of the International Brigades in the western outskirts of the capital. The Facist rebels were mounting a major offensive in order to capture Madrid. Spain, 1936. Estate Stamped Silver Gela (...)
Robert Capa © International Center of Photography Members of the International Brigades in the western outskirts of the capital. The Facist rebels were mounting a major offensive in order to capture Madrid. Spain, 1936. Estate Stamped Silver Gelat (...)
Robert Capa © International Center of Photography Spain, 1936. Estate Stamped Silver Gelatin Print, 14x11". Additional sizes available. © Robert Capa © International Center of Photography | Magnum Photos
Robert Capa © International Center of Photography Battle of Teruel. Republican soldiers inside the Governor's Palace, the last bastion of the Fascist resistance. Earlier that day the Republicans had detonated mines powerful enough to blow away an (...)
Robert Capa © International Center of Photography Republican soldiers leaving for the Aragon front. The sentence written on the train means "UHP" (Union of Proletariat Brothers) swears upon these fraternal letters that you will sooner die than liv (...)
Robert Capa © International Center of Photography Republican solders. Spain, 1936. Estate Stamped Silver Gelatin Print, 11x14". Additional sizes available. © Robert Capa © International Center of Photography | Magnum Photos
Robert Capa © International Center of Photography Members of the International Brigades, in or around the university campus, in the western outskirts of the capital. The Fascist rebels were mounting a major offense in order to capture Madrid. Spai (...)
Robert Capa © International Center of Photography World War II. Members of the United States Air Force 301'st Bomber group, after a daylight mission. The plane's landing gear had been shot away, but the pilot managed to make a successful belly lan (...)
Robert Capa © International Center of Photography American pilot. Tunisia, 1943. Estate Stamped Silver Gelatin Print, 11x14". Additional sizes available. © Robert Capa © International Center of Photography | Magnum Photos
George Rodger Mingladon Air Field, near Rangoon (Yangon). World War II. Flying Tiger pilot Tom Cole from Missouri. He was shot down the next day and machine-gunned to death by Japanese pilots. Mynmar, Burma 1942 (...)
George Rodger Soldiers from the Camel Corp making Bedioun coffee in the desert. 1952. Vintage Silver Gelatin Print, 8.2x11.4". Modern estate prints also available. © George Rodger | Magnum Photos

The ‘Theatre of War’, held at the Magnum London’s Print Room, between September 18th and November 7th, 2014, was an exhibition of photographs dedicated to the work of some of the newest members of Magnum. Images by Peter Van Agtmael, Moises Saman and Jérôme Sessini hung alongside limited edition posthumous prints by the late Tim Hetherington, whose Estate joined the agency after his death in Libya in April 2011. This was the first time these photographers were shown together and for many it was their first exhibition in the UK.

The exhibition featured a number of vintage photographs by early members of Magnum covering conflict, including a selection of Robert Capa’s images of the Spanish Civil War and WWII.

The ‘Theatre of War’ addressed the subject that Tim Hetherington was exploring in his photography before he was tragically killed; the self-conscious theatricality of the combatants he was documenting as they played out their roles. A subject that leading conflict photographer Moises Saman also documented during his 5 years based in Egypt, during the Arab Spring.

Over the past 10 years, photojournalists have increasingly captured the attention of the art world as their powerfully affecting images cross over from news agencies to the walls of galleries and museums. This exhibition brought together a unique set of images that capture the protagonists of war and the stages on which they ‘perform’: the territories – Liberia, Egypt, Syria and Libya – throughout which these recent conflicts have raged.

For Print Sales inquires please contact:
London: chelsea.jacob@magnumphotos.com, Tel: +44(0)20 7490 1771
New York: chelsea.jacob@magnumphotos.com, Tel: +44(0)20 7490 1771
Paris: simone.klein@magnumphotos.com, Tel: +33 (0)1 53 42 50 00

 

Magnum Group G.B. England. London. Magnum print room. Theatre of War exhibition. 2014. © Magnum Group | Magnum Photos
Magnum Group G.B. England. London. Magnum print room. Theatre of War exhibition. 2014. © Magnum Group | Magnum Photos
Magnum Group G.B. England. London. Magnum print room. Theatre of War exhibition. 2014. © Magnum Group | Magnum Photos
Magnum Group G.B. England. London. Magnum print room. Theatre of War exhibition. 2014. © Magnum Group | Magnum Photos
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