London’s Saatchi Gallery is to open a new exhibition dedicated to the millenials’ favourite pastime, the selfie. From Selfie to Self-Expression aims to examine the artistic importance of selfies.
Featuring both the old and the new, the gallery will display self-portraits from the likes of Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Tracey Emin alongside famous selfies that have gone viral from Barack Obama and actor, Benedict Cumberbatch’s ‘photobomb’ at the Academy Awards.
“In many ways the selfie represents the epitome of contemporary culture’s transition into a highly digitalised and technologically advanced age as mobile phone technology has caught up with the camera,” explains Nigel Hurst, chief executive at the gallery. “The exhibition will present a compelling insight into the history and creative potential of the selfie.
As part of the project, Saatchi has launched a competition with technology company, Huawei. #SaatchiSelfie will see people worldwide sending pictures of themselves with the opportunity for their own selfie to be displayed in the gallery. The collaboration also aims to commission 10 young British photographers to contribute.
The exhibition opens at the end of March.