Urban Enigmas @ Gaffa Gallery

An exhibition of stunning images from photo artists as far and wide as Paris, Chicago, Melbourne, Sydney and the Illawarra.

Held at the Gaffa Gallery, which has undergone a stunning restoration and rooftop extension, the exhibition brings together established, mid-career and newly discovered photo artists.

Mike Reed, Piano Man, 2023, 42 x 59.4 cm.
Mike Reed, Piano Man, 2023, 42 x 59.4 cm.

Curated by Lynn Smith, Urban Enigmas aims to unlock the subtle mysteries that lurk in out-of-the-way places in big cities: back lanes, river banks, street markets, abandoned factories, old bridges and so on.

Featured artists include: Jay Deuzieux, Donal Graham, John A. Henderson, Darinka Marun, Mike Reed, Shawn Sijnstra, Lynn Smith and Michael Turk.

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May

Melbourne: Until March 2027. Rehearsing the City presents archival photographs from Victoria’s government collections, alongside new work by contemporary street photographers.

June

Sydney: Until 7 Feb 2027. From his archive of more than 200,000 images, Close Up celebrates the historic moments and pivotal people he famously captured.

August

Melbourne: Until 15 November 2026. This exhibition will present the most comprehensive survey of the work of the eminent Hungarian-born, French photographer Brassaï yet to be seen in Australia.

Sydney: 24 August 2026 – 18 July 2027. Featuring almost 200 images and original prints personally selected by Dupain for magazine and book publishers, the exhibition reveals the extraordinary breadth of his work.

September

Melbourne: Until 19 February 2027. Spanning 55 years from 1971, Chapman’s visual journey began aboard the ‘Green Bus’ from Elsternwick to Melbourne’s city centre – chronicling the evolution of Australian life along the way.

Melbourne: Multiple exhibitions including – Bowness Photography Prize 2026 + Sarah Rhodes | The Inner Sky. Both until 8 November 2026.

October

Perth: Until 31 January 2027. The Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) presents No night is long enough for us to dream twice, a major exhibition of contemporary photography and video, bringing together more than 100 works by seven living artists and one artist duo from across South West Asia, North Africa and its many diasporas.

Sydney: 10 October – 14 November 2026. Metropolis: Street Photography 1985–2025 displays over four decades of life within the modern human environment. The work transitions from the tough, film-noir streets of 1980’s New York to the time surrounding the fall of the Berlin Wall – to the modern colour saturated, hard-shadowed geometry of contemporary Australian streets.

Sydney: Until 31 October 2027. Explore five decades of extraordinary photography by one of Australia’s most important and influential photojournalists, Lorrie Graham.

November

Sydney: 6 to 29 November 2026. Head On Head On curated exhibitions at Bondi, Paddington Reservoir Gardens and various affiliated galleries for the month of November.