Steve McQueen: Resistance – How Protest Shaped Britain and Photography Shaped Protest

Leeds Art Gallery proudly presents Steve McQueen: Resistance – How Protest Shaped Britain and Photography Shaped Protest, an exhibition conceived by renowned artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen and curated in collaboration with Clarrie Wallis and Emma Lewis of Turner Contemporary.

This thought-provoking new exhibition explores how acts of resistance have shaped life in the UK and the powerful role photography has played in both documenting and driving change.

McQueen offers a powerful exploration of overlooked histories, bringing to light the stories of individuals and communities whose acts of resistance have helped shape modern Britain.

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 lesser-known photographers who documented these powerful stories.

Drawing on photographs from various archives collections and image libraries, Resistance deliberately focuses on moments captured before digital cameras became commonplace.

As the North of England venue on the tour, Leeds Art Gallery will present this critically acclaimed exhibition following its highly successful presentations at Turner Contemporary in Margate and National Galleries of Scotland: Modern Two in Edinburgh.

Leeds Art Gallery is now a Give What You Can gallery. We invite visitors to donate to support the gallery if they are able. Donations can be made via our Tap to Give donations points on arrival or during your visit with contactless, Chip and Pin, cash and coins. The suggestion donation amount is £5 per person.