Images to raise awareness in the world
The Photographic Social Vision Foundation is presenting at the CCCB the best examples of international photojournalism in the World Press Photo 2011 exhibition.
The major photographic event has finally arrived in Barcelona. World Press Photo 11 is opening the coming November 22nd in Barcelona and, as always, it is willing to offer us a good dose of thought, awareness and social criticism.
The exhibition is on its seventh consecutive year and it is regarded worldwide as the most important in the field of photojournalism. And rightly so. World Press Photo is an unhindered view into the world: no taboos, prohibitions or censorship. A straight shot to reality that can sometimes unfortunately be all too real and too cruel. But I am one of those that thinks that you have to stare at reality in the face. Even if it hurts.
This year with the slogan “Seeing is believing” the exhibition presents 170 photographs that provide the public an opportunity to be informed — really informed — about the state of the world. An appointment with the truth, with social, political, cultural and sporting events that invites anyone to think not only about what we see, but about the importance and the role of documentary photography today. What seems to be the last bastion of truth in front of the massive hordes of manipulated images and messages that we consume daily.
This edition’s winning photograph by South African Jodi Bieber tells the terrible and chilling story of Aisha Bibi, an 18-year-old Afghan that was mutilated, had her ears and nose cut off as punishment for running away from her husband who treated violently. Fortunately — if you let me use this word in this story —, Aisha was rescued by the Women for Afghan Women organisation in Kabul. There she received help and was eventually moved to the United States for therapy and to undergo a facial reconstruction.
Some of the awards have gone to Spanish photographers. Gustavo Cuevas is the 2nd prize winner in the Sports features category for the photo of bullfighter Julio Aparicio being charged by a bull. Fernando Moleres won 2nd prize in the Daily Life category for Menores tars las rajas en Sierra Leona [Children behind bars in Sierra Leone], which portrays the situation of juvenile prisoners in the prison of Pademba Road. A prison built to house 300 inmates and that today has more than 1,100, many still teenagers. And Guillem Valley won 3rd prize in the Portraits category for the photograph of a man from the Dina tribe in southern Sudan.
The 170 award-winning photographs have been chosen by an independent international jury consisting of 19 members. To give you an idea of the scope of this project, this year’s edition involved more than 5,500 photographers (209 of them Spanish) of 125 different nationalities, with 108,059 entries classified into 10 categories: Portraits, People in the news, General news, Spot news, Contemporary issues, Daily life, Nature, Art and Entertainment, and Sports features.
Seeing is believing offers, in short, a glimpse of the world in 170 photos that tell 170 stories. Stories that deserve to be told from beginning to end.
World Press Photo 11
CCCB / Montalegre, 5 (08001)
From November 23rd to December 23rd, 2011
Tuesday–Sunday, 11:00–20:00 (open on holiday Mondays)
Thursday , 11:00–22:00
Opening: CCCB Hall on November 22nd at 19:30
Photographs:
World Press Photo 2010:
Jodi Bieber, South Africa, Institute for Artist Management/Goodman Gallery for Time magazine. Bibi Aisha, 18, was disfigured as punishment for running away from her husband in the province of Oruzgan in central Afghanistan.
1st Prize singles. General news:
Riccardo Venturi, Italy, Contrasto. The old Iron Market burns, Haiti, January 18th.
2nd Prize series. Daily Life:
Fernando Moleres, Spain. Pademba Road Jail (Freetown, Sierra Leone) was built to house about 300 inmates, but now houses more than 1,100, many still teenagers.