Can you trust what you see – these astonishing photographs from the world’s biggest photographers will make you look twice

Can a photograph truly capture the truth, or does it sometimes deceive our eyes? Magnum Photos’ latest exhibition, Fact/Fiction, features over 70 images that challenge our perception of reality. From uncanny coincidences to imaginative narratives, these photographs force us to question what we see.

Roses and resistance. In June 2024, Sakir Khader captured a poignant moment in Jenin, Palestine. The photograph, titled Roses and Resistance, invites viewers to ponder the complexities of truth in a conflict-ridden world.

Everyday life can be stranger than fiction. Martin Parr’s photograph of a beach inside the Ocean Dome in Miyazaki, Japan, from 1996, blurs the line between reality and imagination. The artificial beach challenges our understanding of what is natural and what is constructed.

Weddings and family ties. Bruce Davidson’s photograph of a couple kissing in a London car window in 1960 raises questions about the true nature of their relationship. The mystery of their connection is left open to interpretation.

Shared spaces and solitude. Eve Arnold’s 1961 photograph of four girls sharing an apartment in Knightsbridge, London, invites us to consider the circumstances surrounding their lives. Although the facts are visible, the photograph does not reveal the complete story.

These photographs from Magnum Photos challenge us to look twice at the world around us. As we navigate an age where photography as a vessel for truth is under scrutiny, we must question the assumptions we make about what we see.