Ikon hosts a new solo exhibition from Birmingham-raised artist Mahtab Hussain.

What Did You Want To See? explores the fine line between photographic documentation and surveillance culture, addressing the intelligence sites established by the media and the state to monitor the Muslim community in Britain.

Commissioned by Ikon and Photoworks, the exhibition features new work, including Hussain’s systematic documentation of 160 Birmingham mosques, revealing the diversity of mosque architecture; portraits of Birmingham residents which highlight the city’s vibrant Muslim community; a communal space within the gallery aimed at fostering inclusion and intercultural dialogue; and What Did You Want To See? an installation simulating a site under surveillance.

On loan from the Natural History Museum in London, the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year event, which is now in its sixth year, is on show at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery until April.

Featuring an array of stunning images from photographers from all over the globe, the world-renowned exhibition showcases images that capture ‘fascinating animal behaviour, spectacular species and the breathtaking diversity of the natural world.’

Originally formed in 1879 by professional artist Edmund Watson, whose sketches for the Graphic Illustrations of Warwickshire are now stored in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham’s Easel Club is still going strong.

Currently boasting 18 members — whose work is created using a range of techniques, including painting, drawing, collage, printmaking, and sculpture — the group continues to meet monthly, and RBSA hosts a showcase of the Easel Club’s work this spring

Pop, Print, Protest delves into how Pop artists used mixed media collage and combined text and image in order to convey powerful, persuasive challenges to capitalism, racism and conflict.

Although drawn to the stylistic and material qualities of images and text from mass media, Pop artists sought to critique consumerism, responding to the major social and political issues of that period, such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War.

This collection offers visitors the opportunity to look closely and critically at such artwork and to think about how words and images can be openly or subtly persuasive.

Thinktank’s ongoing major exhibition explores the surprising and long history of coding, telling the fascinating stories of local people, past and present, who use coding in their work, ranging from local weavers and mathematicians to scientists, artists and gamers.

The exhibition also delves into the implications of new technology such as AI, and showcases rare and important objects such as the HEC computer, one of the oldest surviving electronic computers in the world.

The Bothy is a permanent outdoor installation set in the Minerva Apothecary Garden on the Grand Union Canalside, and is part of Whittle’s long-term artist project with Grand Union titled Congregation: Creating Dangerously.

Created by British-Barbadian artist Alberta Whittle, along with Birmingham-based women’s organisations and MJM Bespoke, the structure is modelled on a traditional Scottish both, which provides temporary, free shelter for anyone to use, and is intended as a place for people to rest and take in views of the sky and surrounding land.

Midlands Arts Centre brings together a selection of thought-provoking new work from artists and photographers based across the West Midlands.

The open-call exhibition is organised with PRISM Photography networking, inviting artists to explore themes of belonging and interconnectedness through portraits, landscapes and personal stories.

Anyone who wants to be part of the exhibition is invited to submit their work here.

An upcoming outdoor exhibition will celebrate Solihull’s integral role in the Surrealist art movement.

Surreal Solihull will be located in Solihull town centre. Its starting point will hone in on the work of pioneering artist and poet Emmy Bridgewater, who founded and worked with the Birmingham Surrealists throughout the 1930s and 40s.

As well as featuring several pieces painted, collaged and drawn by Emmy Bridgwater, 30 local artists have been commissioned to create new Surrealist artworks which will be debuted at the free-to-attend exhibition.

Founded in 1880, The Lapworth Museum of Geology is one of the oldest geological museums in the UK.

Housed in the Edwardian Grade II listed Aston Webb Building at the University of Birmingham, the institution houses collections dedicated to everything from dinosaurs and volcanoes to diamonds and fossils, offering a fascinating insight into how life began and changed through time.

A powerful and moving solo exhibition by Marcia Michael reimagines the traditional family album to explore the beauty and depth of Black family connections in British history.

The Family Album captures intimate moments, challenges stereotypes and celebrates Black love and identity through photography, sculptures and archival imagery.

Another mention for Ikon as the gallery hosts a major solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Htein Lin from Myanmar.

Escape compiles a comprehensive selection of the artist’s paintings made while he was a political prisoner from 1998 to 2004.

At the centre of the collection are over 45 works from the 000235 series (1998-2004). Named after Htein Lin’s International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) number, they demonstrate the ingenuity and originality of his art made in confinement.

Whether you’re a calligraphy fanatic or more of a fairweather fan, the Pen Museum is a somewhat unlikely but fun afternoon out for all ages.

During the Victorian era, making steel pen nibs was a major industry, with 129 companies employing 8,000 workers across Birmingham. Throughout the museum, you’ll find a wide variety of objects that tell the story of the city’s pen trade, with a range of interactive activities along the way, including writing with quills and ink, using graphology to analyse your handwriting and even the opportunity to make your own nib.