Admire the work of famous photographers at Hangar

Come visit our photo exhibitions in Brussels to see works of the most famous photographers of our time. You can also visit our online art gallery to purchase fine art limited editions of their prints.

Some renowned photographers exhibited at Hangar

With three major photo exhibitions each year, Hangar has hosted some of the most well-known contemporary photographers. Whether it is a solo or a group show, each exhibition is a unique opportunity to admire globally acclaimed works. Here is a selection:

Martin Parr

Considered as one of the most important representatives of contemporary documentary photography, Martin Parr is renowned for his colorful and satirical style. In Fall 2021, Hangar presented Parrathon, the first retrospective in Belgium of Martin Parr’s work. Through the display of 15 iconic series, this exhibition traced back 40 years of his artistic quest to document the striking features of the Western society.

Isabel Muñoz

In Spring 2022, Hangar presented the first major exhibition of world-famous Spanish photographer Isabel Muñoz to the Belgian public. The exhibition, named Trance’n’dance, featured works created by Muñoz during the last 10 years. It took the visitor on a journey into the visual world of an artist sometimes called a “body portraitist”. Three sections, both distinct yet fluid, showed more than a hundred pictures and numerous videos and photograms. All of them were infused by transversal themes: immanence, trance, and dance.

Georges Rousse

Invited in Fall 2023, the French master of photography Georges Rousse created a in situ installation at Hangar. Echoing this one-of-a-kind circular anamorphosis, Hangar presented the exhibition Rising circles. Conceived as a retrospective, the show highlighted the recurring occurrence of the circle through the decades-old photographic career of Rousse.

What makes a photographer famous?

Although there is no unique recipe to achieve recognition as a photographer, some criteria generally apply:

- Firstly, even if it is not a prerequisite, many of the most celebrated photographers attended prestigious schools of photography. This is where they learned the craft, got inspired by mentors and met fellow photographers.

Some of these schools include: the International Center of Photography in New York, the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Photographie in Arles, Central Saint Martins in London and the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Visuels La Cambre in Brussels, among others.

- Most importantly, whether they got academic training or learned photography by themselves, what defines famous photographers is usually their aesthetic. That is, the unique touch they put to their images. It is often the association of a technique and a particular subject within a serie of images. Ruud Van Empel, for instance, uses digital collages to produce life-like compositions and portraitures filled with magical realism. Beth Moon is acclaimed for her large platinum-palladium prints depicting magnificent trees, and Yann Arthus-Bertrand creates bird’s-eye views of stunning landscapes, for example.

- Finally, renowned photographers are recognized by their peers from the art world. They are usually recipients of prestigious awards, grants, and prizes. Some of these rewards include: the Prix Niepce, the Hasselblad Award, the Guggenheim Fellowship, the Sony World Photography Award.  
Moreover, their artworks are usually presented by famous art galleries. Or they are included in the collections of the most renowned institutions and museums.

All of this acknowledges the excellence of their practice, and its unique contribution to art history.  

Collecting artworks from famous photographers 

If you are interested in collecting photography, purchasing prints from famous photographers is a must. Make sure to visit our online art gallery to discover our selection of fine art prints by some of the greatest photographers of our time.

Are you more into discovering emerging talent from contemporary photography? Then read our article or browse our collection of emerging photography.

Not sure why or how to collect photography? Then this article is for you!