BIG Photo Journalism Exhibition at Alhamra Art Gallery
A BIG photo journalism exhibition organised by the World Press Photo Foundation, Netherlands, was jointly inaugurated by Ambassador of the Kingdom of Netherlands Hugo Gajus Scheltema and Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Iqbal Khan at Alhamra Art Gallery on Monday
World Press Photo Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organisation with its head office in the Netherlands, where it was founded in 1955. The organisation is committed to supporting and advancing high standards in photojournalism and documentary photography worldwide. It strives to generate wide public interest in the work of photographers and to encourage the free exchange of information.
Dutch Ambassador Scheltema dedicated this unique international event, which opens a window into the minds of the photojournalists and introduces them to new perceptions, advances and happenings in the world around, to the fallen journalists of Pakistan who laid their lives while serving the humanity and performing their duties.
The ambassador said to the gathering at the inaugural ceremony that he was proud that the exhibition was now on show in Lahore.
The exhibition was brought to Lahore by the curator, Erik de Kruijf, who said, “Quality photojournalism educates us by showing reality in all its multi-coloured diversity. It creates awareness and understanding of our complex world and of our lives in it. It has the power to connect us and inspire tolerance.”
The collection of 158 images rewarded for their visual quality and historic and socio-politic relevance, present us with news and events from all over the world. They record significant moments of history and serve as a narrative of pivotal events and movements of the year. The images on display cover the period from May 2011 to May 2012 and include the photographs of the Arab Spring, war, poaching, natural beauty and extreme destruction.
The winning photograph of that year is by Samuel Aranda, Spain, for The New York Times. In the photograph, Fatima al-Qaws cradles her son Zayed, who is suffering from the effects of tear gas after participating in a street demonstration, in Sanaa, Yemen on October 15, 2011. The 2013 winner is the Swedish photographer Paul Hansen with a moving picture of a Gaza burial.
Each year, an independent international jury, consisting of nineteen members, judges the entries in nine different categories, submitted by photojournalists, agencies, newspapers and magazines from all corners of the world. This year’s competition attracted 5,247 photographers from 124 countries. In total 101,254 images were entered in the contest.
The annual exhibitions was held this year at about 100 venues all over the world. It is an annual public showcase for photojournalism comprising the year’s winning photo, together with award-winning images from each of the nine contest categories.
Erik de Kruijf, manager exhibitions, World Press Photo Foundation, Netherlands, told The News that the mega event was the biggest happening in the world of photojournalism and the first ever of its kind in Pakistan. Erik said that more than 2,100 WPP exhibitions had taken place in over 450 cites in 115 countries across the globe.
The exhibition inaugurated in Pakistan on Monday has 158 winning photographs of the 2013 Photo Contest.
The objective behind the exhibition, Erik explained, is to bring the journalists of the world in particular and the people in general, closer to each other and also to provide a new platform to the photojournalists to share their experiences with their colleagues all around the world.
The motto of the WPP also explains quite appropriately the mission taken up by WPP which says, “We exist to inspire understanding of the world through quality photojournalism.”
(Thenews)
Organised for the first time in Pakistan, an exhibition by the World Press Photo (WWP) kicked off at Alhamra Art Gallery on Monday.
The exhibition is a result of a worldwide annual contest on press photography and is brought to Lahore with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Akzo-Nobel, Shell, FM 89 and the Lahore Arts Council. The exhibition was inaugurated by Ambassador of the Neterlands to Pakistan Gajus Scheltema and Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan.
Local dignitaries, government officials and international and local journalists were present on the occasion.
As many as 158 images, awarded for their visual quality and historic and socio-politic relevance, have been put on display at the exhibition. They present the people with news and events from all over the world. They record significant moments of history and serve as a narrative of pivotal events and movements of the year. The images on display cover the period from May 2011 to May 2012 and include photographs of the Arab Spring, war, poaching, natural beauty and extreme destruction.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Scheltema said that he was proud that the exhibition was now being hosted in Lahore. He said that in a country where journalism was not without risks, it was important to showcase the visual side of this important medium. “Photojournalists have a crucial role in informing the people, be it good or bad news. Balancing between objectivity and the sense of drama, they help and shape that news every day,” he said.
The exhibition was brought to Lahore by the curator, Erik de Kruijf, who stated, “Quality photojournalism educates us by showing reality in all its multi-coloured diversity. It creates awareness and understanding of our complex world and of our lives in it. It has the power to connect us and inspire tolerance.”
Each year, an independent international jury, consisting of 19 members, judges the entries in nine different categories, submitted by photojournalists, agencies, newspapers and magazines from all corners of the world. This year, the competition attracted 5,247 photographers from 124 countries. In total, 101,254 images made it to the contest.
The annual exhibition is shown this year at about 100 venues all over the world. It is a public showcase for photojournalism comprising the year’s winning photo, together with award-winning images from each of the nine contest categories. The World Press Photo Exhibition will remain open until March 12.
(DailyTimes)