Constellations: Photographs in Dialogue

Constellations: Photographs in Dialogue explores how additions to the collection expand, deepen, and complicate the stories a museum can tell. From Edward Weston to Zanele Muholi, the exhibition weaves together historical and contemporary voices, bringing fresh narratives to light.

The photographs on view showcase the collection’s strengths, particularly in Japanese photography, the documentary tradition, and work by Bay Area artists. Constellations also highlights SFMOMA’s ever-expanding contemporary photography holdings, featuring artists such as Poklong Anading, Daisuke Yokota, Wendy Red Star, and Clare Strand, alongside familiar favorites including Imogen Cunningham and Ansel Adams.

The four curators collaborating on this exhibition have each chosen a single image or group of new acquisitions as a point of departure. The result is six unique galleries, all creating moments of dialogue, resonance, and even tension, suggesting just some of the many ways to interpret SFMOMA’s remarkable photography collection.