Land & Sea: A Celebration of Photography from its Inception to Contemporary Interpretations
15 August - 6 September 2026
Open Wednesday - Sunday, 10am-5pm
Bowhouse, Fife, KY10 2DB
Robin Gillanders, Boatshelf, Unique Print, 38 x 70cm
Studies in Photography and Space to Breathe present Land & Sea, a major summer exhibition bringing together seventeen contemporary artists whose work explores our enduring relationship with landscape, coastline and the natural world. Presented at Bowhouse in the East Neuk of Fife, the exhibition forms part of the international celebrations marking the bicentenary of photography in 2026.
Set between fertile farmland and the Firth of Forth, Bowhouse provides a fitting setting for an exhibition that returns photography to its roots. Since the invention of the medium, artists have looked to the natural world not simply as a subject, but as a collaborator. Light, weather, plants, water and the landscape itself have shaped photographic practice for almost two centuries, and continue to inspire some of today's most innovative artists.
Aindreas Scholz, And So I Watch You From Afar#04, Climate-adapted cyanotype, 84cm x 119cm
Drawing inspiration from the pioneering achievements of nineteenth-century figures such as David Octavius Hill, Robert Adamson and Anna Atkins, Land & Sea explores how contemporary photographers continue to challenge our understanding of landscape, ecology and place. Working across traditional, experimental and camera-less techniques, the exhibiting artists embrace photography as both an artistic and material process, revealing new ways of seeing - and caring for - the environments that surround us.
The exhibition brings together seventeen photographers from around the world, each offering a distinctive perspective on the natural world. From intimate studies of coastlines and botanical forms to ambitious works shaped directly by the elements themselves, Land & Sea celebrates the remarkable diversity of contemporary photographic practice while reflecting on photography's unique relationship with the forces of nature.
Throughout the first two weekends of the exhibition, Bowhouse will host an extensive programme of curator-led tours, artist talks and interactive workshops, transforming the exhibition into a lively forum for discovery, discussion and creative exchange. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet exhibiting artists, explore photography's earliest processes through cyanotype workshops, and gain fresh insight into the ideas and techniques behind the works on display. The programme also includes a special interpretive display exploring the origins of photography, acknowledging the enduring influence of pioneers including Hill & Adamson and Anna Atkins on the artists exhibiting today.
Alexander Hamilton, Pishwanton Cyanotype, Unique, 127 x 84cm
All works in the exhibition will be available for purchase, alongside a carefully curated selection of books and publications celebrating photography, landscape and the history of the medium.
"Since the invention of the medium, photographers have had an enduring relationship with nature, landscape and the elements. Land & Sea reveals some of the most original and talented artists working in this field today. Expect a festival of colour and intrigue." - Alexander Hamilton & Alexander Moore, Curators - Space to Breathe 2026.
Featuring: Angela Chalmers, Nicolas Grospierre, Paul Kenny, Kayhan Jafar-Shaghaghi, Walter Dalkeith, Iain Stewart, Alexander Hamilton, Constanza Dessain, Leena Nammari, Jane Brettle, Jennifer Gough-Cooper, Pia Östlund, Jo de Pear, Aindreas Scholz, David Williams, Robin Gillanders and Alexander Lindsay.
Exhibition Opening - 15th and 16th August, 10am-5pm
Join us to celebrate the Opening Weekend | RSVP here
Free Artist and Curator Talks for the Opening Weekend | Book here
A range of fascinating workshops inspired by Anna Atkins unravelling the story of seaweed, paper-making and cyanotypes - 22nd-23rd August | Book here
