Sir Steve McQueen Launches Exhibition Documenting a Century of Protest Photography

Oscar-winning director Sir Steve McQueen stated that protest holds particular urgency “in today’s political climate” during the launch of a photography exhibition in Kent. The exhibition, titled Resistance, delves into Britain’s history of protest and its connection with photography. It is scheduled to open at the Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate on 22 February, with subsequent plans for a UK-wide tour. Spanning a century of activism captured by photographers, the display begins with the suffragette movement in 1903 and concludes with the nation’s largest ever protest, the 2003 march against the Iraq War, which involved 1.5 million people. The gallery indicated that the exhibition also incorporates the “forgotten stories of individuals whose actions have helped define Britain’s history”. It features iconic works by both renowned photographers and lesser-known artists who documented powerful stories on Britain’s streets. A companion book will accompany the exhibition, containing a selection of the images, first-hand accounts from witnesses, and expert analysis on the contemporary relevance of these stories. McQueen remarked: “This exhibition and book explores how people have challenged the status quo – a mission that feels especially urgent in today’s political climate.”