From June 19 to September 28, 2025, the International Center of Photography (ICP) presents The Great Acceleration, Edward Burtynsky’s first solo institutional exhibition in New York City in over twenty years. The exhibition features more than seventy photographs, including both well-known images and previously unseen works. Additionally, it includes three ultra-high-resolution murals, which offer a sweeping look at Burtynsky’s exploration of human-altered landscapes.

David Campany, Creative Director at ICP, curated The Great Acceleration and traces the visual and narrative evolution of Burtynsky’s work. He emphasizes both the fragility and striking beauty of the environments Burtynsky documents. Timed to coincide with Climate Week NYC in September 2025, the exhibition invites reflection and action. This timely exhibition highlights ICP’s commitment to photography that tackles pressing global issues.

For decades, Edward Burtynsky has explored the global intersection of industrial growth and environmental impact through diverse photographic projects. His color photographs document the many facets of landscapes transformed by human industry. Exquisitely detailed and meticulously rendered, his images strike a balance between somber reportage and a captivating aesthetic, reflecting the tension between society’s pursuit of prosperity and its environmental consequences

Over 80 major museums worldwide include Burtynsky’s work in their collections, including prominent institutions such as The Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York; Tate Modern in London; Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid; the National Gallery of Canada; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in California.

Born in St. Catharines, Ontario in 1955, Burtynsky earned his Bachelor of Applied Arts in Photography and Media Studies from Ryerson University in 1982. He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2006 and received the ICP Infinity Award for Art in 2008. In 2018, Photo London named him Master of Photography, and the Mosaic Institute appointed him Peace Patron. In 2019, he received the Arts & Letters Award at the Canadian Association of New York’s Maple Leaf Ball and the Lucie Award for Achievement in Documentary Photography.

Burtynsky received the 2004 TED Prize for his global impact, the ICP Infinity Award for Art (2008), the Rogers Best Documentary Film Award (2006), the Outreach Award at Rencontres d’Arles (2004), and the Roloff Beny Book Award (2003).