Platon-People Power

Platon's work ranks among the most significant that portrait photography currently has to offer – it has graced the cover of TIME more than thirty times. From 31 May to 9 August 2026, to mark his 25th anniversary, the Vienna-based WestLicht Photography Museum is presenting the exhibition PEOPLE POWER by the exceptional international photographer Platon. To mark the anniversary celebrations, Platon will be visiting Vienna for several days and, alongside WestLicht founder Peter Coeln, will be available for personal interviews.

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Platon is renowned for his iconic, psychologically compelling portraits of political decision-makers, activists, artists and pioneering figures of our time. For decades, his work has appeared in leading international publications such as The New Yorker and Rolling Stone – and has long been counted amongst the images that have had a lasting impact on our visual understanding of power, responsibility and humanity.

PEOPLE POWER brings together his most outstanding portraits – ranging from leaders, autocrats and dictators such as Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Muammar al-Gaddafi, to activists such as Pussy Riot, and on to outstanding artists and pop icons such as Prince, Adele and Harry Styles.

It is precisely this breadth that makes PEOPLE POWER so special. Platon approaches all those he portrays with the same radical openness, whether they are heads of state or ordinary people next door: the subjects’ faces become legible; power is not glorified, but scrutinised.

Speaking about his approach, Platon himself says: “One of the biggest things I’ve learnt is to be really honest with people. It’s a great risk, but if you are sincere and have the courage to reach out with an open hand, do it.” This credo shapes his intense encounters with politicians, superstars and activists alike, and runs as a distinctive signature through his entire body of work.

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