New exhibition showcases photographs of real locations inspired by American film director’s whimsical trademark style

Think of a Wes Anderson film and the muted greys and browns of a rain-soaked day in London are not the first things that spring to mind. But the UK capital is about to host the first European exhibition of photographs inspired by the vibrant aesthetic of the American film director.

Accidentally Wes Anderson: The Exhibition, which opens in South Kensington, London, on 8 December, is the latest incarnation of a phenomenon that began on social media six years ago when self-confessed “nerd” and “Anderson fan-boy” Wally Koval started an Instagram account with the same name. He envisaged it as a personal “travel bucket list”, on which he’d share pictures of places he wanted to visit. However, it quickly snowballed to become an online community sharing photographs of locations that reflected the distinctive, colour-saturated look of films such as The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Royal Tenenbaums.

London’s brilliant parade (clockwise from top left): Buckingham Palace (@oksanaskora); Woolwich Town Hall (@steven.maddison); Kew Palace (Andrew Afram); JAS Smith & Sons Umbrella Shop (Eric Reichbaum)