The Other Side of Gold: Images of Real London 2012

Young photographers document London during the Games in this refreshing exhibition – with support from leading photojournalists and the Mandela family!

From images of prancing horses to popular protest, nine emerging photojournalists have captured the hopes, joys and disappointments of London 2012. This show consciously avoids popular clichés to present a refreshingly honest account showing the effect of the Olympic Games on London and its local communities.

Mentored and inspired by leading photojournalist John Cole, this new generation of social documentary photographers attended many of the outside attractions recording the everyday experience of London and its visitors during this ‘once in a lifetime’ moment.

The Other Side of Gold contains work by Samin Ahmadzadeh, Joanne Coates, Thomas Harrison, Sophie Ingrand, Jenny McCord, Kasey Newton, Brian Okello, Tariana Pestana and Holly Smith.

“There’s no better way to communicate across cultures than with an image that takes your breath away…one photo can change a life. The Wembley to Soweto kids are an example of that,” commented Kweku Mandela. In a news documentary to CNN earlier this month he added, ‘The London project was made possible because of the success of the first project, in South Africa. In London, at this time, there are so many multi-cultural events and moments to capture, that for these London youngsters this is probably a once-in-a lifetime opportunity.’

“During the Olympic Games, some of the world’s best photographers focused on a small group of sweaty competitors in Lycra,” said John Phillips, director of londonprintstudio. “With the professionals distracted, London outside ‘The Village’ has provided fantastic opportunities for a new generation of photographers to capture iconic images that will define this historic moment.”