Magnum Sport: Icons and the Everyday

Associated media

World-renowned photographers in exhibition to premiere in Birmingham, UK, 16 July – 9 September

A newly originated exhibition featuring 70 stunning archival images by 40 of the world’s leading documentary photographers premieres on the streets of Birmingham’s Colmore Business District this summer. 

Created to coincide with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the exhibition entitled Magnum Sport: Icons and the Everyday takes place 16 July – 9 September and will feature images of former Olympic champions such as Mohammed Ali, international sporting icons such as cyclist, Lance Armstrong and images of sporting activity from everyday life taken by members of the internationally renowned agency Magnum Photos.   

The exhibition has been organized by a number of private and public sector partners andis presented through the collaborative efforts of Colmore Business District, the Library of Birmingham, Magnum Photos and Birmingham City Council.

The 70 images, including work by Eve Arnold, Werner Bischof, Martine Franck, Thomas Hoepker, Susan Meiselas, David Seymour, Martin Parr, George Rodger, W Eugene Smith and Alex Webb is presentedin exhibitions at two central locations within Birmingham’s Colmore Business District.   It is hoped that the exhibitions in Colmore Square and the recently developed Church Street Square will capture the imaginations of passersby.

Pete James, Head of Photographs at the Library of Birmingham said:

The inspiration of athletics and sport in art can be seen in the work of the ancient Greek masters of sculpture through to the split-second images of the modern day sportsphotographer. In addition to presenting images of elite and professional the athletes, this exhibition of stunning images by Magnum Photos' internationally acclaimed photographers also reveals candid shots of sport in a variety of everyday settings.  Together these images tell us much about the central place which sport now occupies in modern life.

Fiona Rogers, Cultural and Education  Manager at Magnum Photo said:

Magnum Photos are delighted to once again be working in Birmingham to showcase such a diverse selection of archival photographs in celebration of British sporting events in 2012. The exhibition is the first time these images have been brought together in a single presentation, and highlights both the inspiration of the celebrity sporting professional and the impact that sports has on our everyday lives.