This prize, renowned among the world's most prestigious awards, highlights significant trends of contemporary photography and presents the works of artists who are shaping today's global photography landscape.
Anne-Marie Beckmann, Director of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, describes the prize as a platform that “brings together a range of important themes showing the breadth of contemporary practice, such as feminist histories and performance, de-colonial histories, contemporary conflict and displacement and indigenous rights.”
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VALIE EXPORT – SMART EXPORT Self-Portrait, Gelatin silver print © VALIE EXPORT, Bildrecht Wien, 2023, Photo: Gertraud Wolfschwenger.
The winner of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2023 was Samuel Fosso, recognized for his exhibition "Samuel Fosso" at the Maison européenne de la photographie. Among the Shortlisted artists were Bieke Depoorter for the exhibition "A Chance Encounter" at C/O Berlin, Arthur Jafa for "Live Evil" at Luma, Arles, and Frida Orupabo for the exhibition "I have seen a million pictures of my face and still I have no idea" at Fotomuseum Winterthur.
Gauri Gill and Rajesh Vangad, Mountains and Trees, 2014, from the series „Fields ofSight“, 2013-ongoing © Gauri Gill and Rajesh Vangad.
The shortlist for the 2024 Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize features four international artists:
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VALIE EXPORT, an Austrian artist exploring the role of women in society and the arts;
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Gauri Gill & Rajesh Vangad, from India, working together to reinvent painted photography, while addressing the topics of environmental destruction, memory and decolonisation;
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Lebohang Kganye, a South African artist, exploring her country’s complex history before, during, and after apartheid and colonialism through photography;
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Hrair Sarkissian, a Syrian photographer capturing the complexity of historical and social issues through conceptual photography.
Lebohang Kganye, Re shapa setepe sa lenyalo II, 2013 © Lebohang Kganye, Courtesy the artist.
The shortlisted projects for 2024 engage with urgent issues, touching on various topics such as war, conflict, decolonisation, heritage, gender, and equality. Beckmann emphasizes that “this year’s submissions for the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize once again show the power of photography to explore, investigate and interrogate our world.”
The annual exhibition of shortlisted projects will be showcased at The Photographers’ Gallery in London from the 23rd of February to the 2nd of June 2024, before being displayed at the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation in Eschborn/Frankfurt from the 15th of June to the 15th of September 2024.
The winner of the £30,000 prize will be announced on the 16th of May 2024, at an award ceremony held at The Photographers’ Gallery. The other finalists will also each receive £5,000. Detailed information about the Prize and award evening will be made available in early 2024.
Cover image: Hrair Sarkissian, In Between, 2006. © Hrair Sarkissian. Courtesy the artist.
