Conceived by acclaimed artist and filmmaker, Steve McQueen, Resistance explores how acts of protest have shaped life in the UK and the powerful role of photography in documenting and driving change. Drawing from diverse public archives and personal collections, these photographs testify to the importance of the camera bearing witness.
This exhibition reframes a century of acts of activism through photography. From the militant suffragettes in 1903 to the mass demonstration against the Iraq War in 2003. These photographs document moments of profound social and political change and serve as catalysts for action, shaping the movements they capture and ultimately defining how history will remember them.
Through the work of renowned photographers alongside those that are lesser-known or uncredited, we witness ordinary people fighting for extraordinary change. Taken before the rise of social media, these pictures capture diverse forms of protest: from marches to quiet vigils, from occupations to street confrontations. They highlight how movements built upon and learned from their predecessors. Together, they build a complex picture of how campaigns for workers’ rights, racial equality, environmental protection, and LGBTQ+ liberation intersected and evolved among other movements.
With photographs that have been buried in UK archives until now, McQueen amplifies underrepresented voices to present a compelling exploration of overlooked histories that will shed light on the forgotten stories of individuals whose contributions have helped define the course of Britain’s history.
Resistance is curated by Steve McQueen and Clarrie Wallis, with Emma Lewis. Political research is by Sarah Harrison. The exhibition is produced by Tessa Pierce, with assistance from Brittany Crombie.
Organised by and originated at Turner Contemporary, Margate.