Edward Burtynsky’s largest exhibition ever opens in February

The renowned photographer explores our impact on Earth, urging us to embrace sustainable change for the future.

Thjorsá River #1, Iceland, 2012 Photo © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Flowers Gallery, London

Salinas #2, Cádiz, Spain, 2013 Photo © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Flowers Gallery, London 

Uralkali Potash Mine #1, Berezniki, Russia, 2017 Photo © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Flowers Gallery, London

Tailings Pond #2, Wesselton Diamond Mine, Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa, 2018 Photo © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Flowers Gallery, London

Nickel Tailings #34, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, 1996 Photo © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Flowers Gallery, London

Oil Bunkering #9, Niger Delta, Nigeria, 2016 Photo © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Flowers Gallery, London

Cathedral Grove #1, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, 2017 Photo © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Flowers Gallery, London

Burtynsky in Belridge, California, USA, 2003 Photograph by Noah Weinzweig, courtesy of the Studio of Edward Burtynsky

Burtynsky on the Bonneville Salt Flats, USA, 2008 Photograph by Joseph Hartman, courtesy of the Studio of Edward Burtynsky

Burtynsky with Jim Panou in Agbogbloshie Recycling Yard, Accra, Ghana, 2017 Photograph by Nathan Otoo, courtesy of the Studio of Edward Burtynsky

Burtynsky with with Tom Comet in Port Renfrew, BC, Canada, 2017 Photograph by TJ Watt, courtesy of the Studio of Edward Burtynsky

From February 14 to May 6, 2024, at the Saatchi Gallery in London, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the largest exhibition ever mounted in the career of the world-renowned photographic artist, Edward Burtynsky, who, for over forty years, has used his images to document the impact of human activity on the planet, encouraging the general public towards conscious change. 

Titled “BURTYNSKY: Extraction/Abstraction”, the exhibition has been curated by Marc Mayer, former Director of the National Gallery of Canada and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal. It features 94 large-format photographs by Burtynsky, 13 high-resolution murals, and an augmented reality experience, divided into five different sections. An unprecedented element, titled the “Process Archive,” will also showcase Burtynsky’s journey through the technological changes of the last decade related to the photographic medium.

Additionally, the project “In the Wake of Progress” will be presented: an ambitious 22-minute multimedia experience co-produced by the legendary music producer Bob Ezrin (known for his work with Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, and Taylor Swift, to name a few). It will immerse the audience in the history of human industry’s impact on Earth, urging us to rethink our lives and legacy for future generations, seeking a more sustainable future through present actions, as demonstrated by Burtynsky’s photographs.

In this regard, the exhibition will also highlight local and national organizations making positive contributions to sustainability, biodiversity conservation, awareness, and climate change containment through an interactive space.

Thjorsá River #1, Iceland, 2012

Photo © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Flowers Gallery, London

Salinas #2, Cádiz, Spain, 2013

Photo © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Flowers Gallery, London 

Uralkali Potash Mine #1, Berezniki, Russia, 2017

Photo © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Flowers Gallery, London

Tailings Pond #2, Wesselton Diamond Mine, Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa, 2018

Photo © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Flowers Gallery, London

Nickel Tailings #34, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, 1996

Photo © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Flowers Gallery, London

Oil Bunkering #9, Niger Delta, Nigeria, 2016

Photo © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Flowers Gallery, London

Cathedral Grove #1, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, 2017

Photo © Edward Burtynsky, courtesy Flowers Gallery, London

Burtynsky in Belridge, California, USA, 2003

Photograph by Noah Weinzweig, courtesy of the Studio of Edward Burtynsky

Burtynsky on the Bonneville Salt Flats, USA, 2008

Photograph by Joseph Hartman, courtesy of the Studio of Edward Burtynsky

Burtynsky with Jim Panou in Agbogbloshie Recycling Yard, Accra, Ghana, 2017

Photograph by Nathan Otoo, courtesy of the Studio of Edward Burtynsky

Burtynsky with with Tom Comet in Port Renfrew, BC, Canada, 2017

Photograph by TJ Watt, courtesy of the Studio of Edward Burtynsky