The exhibition will take place in the Synagogue Groningen from today until 8 December
The World Press Photo is back in Groningen, hosted by Stichting NonFiction Photo. Around 150 photos taken by 43 photographers from 25 countries are visiting Groningen’s Synagogue, bringing with them stories from around the world.
They are part of the yearly World Press Photo Exhibition, which exhibits entries from the World Press Photo Competition. The exhibition is “an album for the generations of the future, an album that they will watch,” says Paul Moakley, jury member for the photo competition.
The Groningen edition of the exhibition has a bonus exhibition: a series of photo-projects, taken by young local ‘makers’, who have looking into the Northern Netherlands for inspiration about energy change. It is called Solutions: Energy, and can be seen on the first floor of the Synagogue Groningen from today, along with the rest of the exhibition. The Solutions: Energy exhibition is the result of the new Talent Programme run by the Groningen-based NonFiction Photo.
For the World Press Photo Contest 2019, nearly 80,000 photos were submitted by 4738 photographers from all over the world. The independent jury searched for relevant, unique and unforgettable images. These images are taken to bring focus to urgent issues such as mass migration, climate change and press freedom.
“World Press Photo has the grand task of drawing the world’s attention to the stories that matter most every year,” says Nana Kofi Acquah, photographer and jury member.
Images to reflect upon
World Press Photo was established in the Netherlands in 1955 and the organization is based in Amsterdam. The annual press photo exhibition attracts millions of visitors worldwide. Stichting NonFiction Photo has been bringing the exhibition to Groningen for several years, and it has become a mainstay of the cultural calendar.
In addition, the photos – and the stories behind the photos – are shared online and via social media. “It’s also about recognition. Not just for the photographer of course. . . but even more for the subject of the photo, “says photography curator and former jury member Yumi Goto. The intention is that visitors are reminded of a year of news images, and gain the chance to reflect upon them.
The World Press Photo Exhibition is available to view at the Synagogue Groningen, Folkingestraat, between November 15 and December 8, 2019. Tickets are available via this link. Stichting NonFiction Photo is also putting on its own Academy Programme, with a series of lectures and speeches in and around the exhibition.
Image: Meet Bob by Jasper Doest
