Urban Enigmas @ Gaffa Gallery

Venue: Gaffa Gallery
Location: 281 Clarence Street Sydney
29 Feb - 29 Mar, 2024
Web: http://www.gaffa.com.au

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.

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.

Contact name: Mike Reed
Phone: 0417883348
Email: mike@mikereedphotography.com

Upcoming Events Submit an Event

February

New Light: Photography Now + Then

Brisbane: Until 13 July 2025. Amateur Brisbane photographer Alfred Henrie Elliott (1870-1954) extraordinary images lay dormant for decades until they were discovered only recently. This exhibition is curated by seven Brisbane photographers.

Level 3, Brisbane City Hall King George Square, Brisbane 4000 Museum of Brisbane. Level 3 City Hall. | 1 Feb - 13 Jul, 2025

Henry Roy - Impossible Island

Perth: Until 18 May 2025. Henry Roy – Impossible Island draws on 40-years of recollections and observations as it brings together 113 photos taken from 1983 to 2023.

Perth Cultural Centre, Perth The Art Gallery of Western Australia | 1 Feb - 18 May, 2025

PIX – The magazine that changed everything (1938-1972)

Sydney: Until 31 Dec 2025. PIX, Australia’s first pictorial news weekly, is brought to life in this exhibition, showcasing its archived images and stories for the very first time.

1 Shakespeare Place, Sydney State Library of NSW | 1 Feb - 31 Dec, 2025

Max Dupain – Student Life

Sydney: Until 30 June. The photographs in Max Dupain: Student Life were taken at the University of Sydney in the early 1950s, a period of rapid change marked by the politics of the Cold War.

Level 4, Chau Chak Wing Museum, University of Sydney, University Place, Camperdown Level 4, Chau Chak Wing Museum | 1 Feb - 29 Jun, 2025

DANCER: A National Portrait Gallery touring exhibition

Melbourne: Until 26 April 2025. The exhibition features 52 works from the National Portrait Gallery’s collection of dance legends and reflects the freedom and joy of dance and its power to connect.

27-37 Davey St Frankston vic 3199 Frankston Arts Centre | 7 Feb - 26 Apr, 2025

Ocean Photographer of the Year exhibition

Sydney: Until 27 April 2025. Ocean Photographer of the Year exhibition. Featuring 118 extraordinary images, this exhibition explores the awe-inspiring beauty and fragility of our oceans.

2 Murray Street Darling Harbour, Sydney NSW 2000 Australian National Maritime Musuem | 19 Feb - 27 Apr, 2025

James Bryans Inside/Outside (U.S.A

Melbourne: Until 15 March. In ‘Inside/Outside (U.S.A)’ James Bryans (re)captures iconic American landmarks frequently depicted in film and television, revealing the strangeness, unfamiliarity and complexity of familiar land.

45 Flinders Lane Melbourne 3000 fortyfive downstairs | 19 Feb - 15 Mar, 2025

Fit to Print: Defining Moments from the Fairfax Photo Archive

Canberra: 27 Feb until 20 July 2025. The National Library has invited renowned Australian photojournalist Mike Bowers to select some of his favourite images from the Fairfax Photo Archive.

Parkes Place West, Parkes Canberra The National Library | 23 Feb - 20 Jul, 2025

March

The Basement: photography from Prahran College (1968–1981)

Melbourne: 1 March – 25 May 2025. Featuring the work of approximately 60 artists, The Basement brings to light rare vintage prints from the 1960s – 1980s, from students and teachers of the College’s Diploma of Art & Design (Photography).

860 Ferntree Gully Road Wheelers Hill Victoria 3150 Museum of Australian Photography | 1 Mar - 25 May, 2025

counter-sites: Isabella Capezio, Aaron Claringbold, Rebecca McCauley, Matt Dunne, Nicholas Mahady, Christine McFetridge, Jahkarli Felicitas Romanis

Canberra: 6 March – 5 April 2025. Counter-sites is an exhibition program bringing together the work of seven artists whose lens-based practices dismantle, dissect and destabilise the complex relationship between photography and place.

30 Manuka Cir, Griffith ACT 2603 Photo Access | 6 Mar - 5 Apr, 2025