Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2012 Shortlist announced

The four artists shortlisted for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2012 are Pieter Hugo, Rinko Kawauchi, John Stezaker and Christopher Williams. This year’s selection showcases a diversity of subject matter and photographic approaches, ranging from documentary photography and everyday moments to the recontextualisation of found images and the conceptual.

The four shortlisted artists have been nominated for the following projects:

Pieter Hugo (b.1976, South-Africa) is nominated for his publication Permanent Error, published by Prestel (Germany, 2011).

Rinko Kawauchi (b.1972, Japan) is nominated for her publication Illuminance, published by Kehrer (Germany, 2011).

John Stezaker (b.1949, UK) is nominated for his exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK (29 January – 18 March 2011).

Christopher Williams (b. 1956, USA) is nominated for his exhibition Kapitalistischer Realismus at Dùm umìní České Budìjovice, Budweis, Czech Republic (5 May - 12 June 2011).

The Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2012 is presented by The Photographers’ Gallery, London. The annual award of £30,000 rewards a living photographer, of any nationality, for a specific body of work in an exhibition or publication format, which has significantly contributed to photography in Europe between 1 October 2010 and 30 September 2011.

The members of the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2012 jury are: François Hébel, Director, Les Rencontres d'Arles; Martin Parr, artist; Beatrix Ruf, Director/Curator, Kunsthalle Zürich and Anne-Marie Beckmann, Curator, Art Collection Deutsche Börse, Germany. Brett Rogers, Director of The Photographers’ Gallery, is the non-voting Chair.

Brett Rogers, Director of The Photographers’ Gallery and Chair of the Jury said: “Each finalist addresses in a timely way issues of critical importance within contemporary photography. Operating between portraiture and social documentary, Pieter Hugo confronts us with the unsettling reality of the impact of e-waste in Ghana; Rinko Kawauchi brings her highly personal sensibility to bear on fragments of everyday life; John Stezaker demonstrates a rigorous exploration of the subversive force of the found image; and finally, alluding to the language of commercial photography, Christopher Williams continuously questions the aesthetic conventions and communication tools that influence our perception of reality.”

Julia Taeschner, Head of Corporate Responsibility for Deutsche Börse said: “We are delighted that the esteemed international jury has made another excellent selection for the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2012 shortlist, and we join them in recognizing these talented individuals.The four outstanding artists once again reflect what this prize is all about: to acknowledge and showcase some of the most interesting contributions to contemporary photography in the past year."

Works by the shortlisted photographers will be shown in an exhibition at The Photographers’ Gallery, Summer 2012, followed by its presentations at the Deutsche Börse headquarters in Frankfurt and at C/O Berlin, Forum for visual dialogues.

Further information

The Photographers’ Gallery:

Opened in 1971, The Photographers' Gallery is the largest public gallery in London dedicated to photography. From the latest emerging talent, to historical archives and established artists, it is the place to see photography in all its forms. The building on Ramillies Street is currently undergoing a transformation and will reopen to the public in spring 2012. The renovated building will feature three floors of new galleries, an education floor, an improved Bookshop and Print Sales space, a brand new street level Café/Bar, and an accessible building with a new lift. Construction started in Autumn 2010.

Deutsche Börse Group:

Deutsche Börse Group is one of the leading exchange organisations and a major sponsor of photographic art. The Group owns an extensive art collection of contemporary photography, the Art Collection Deutsche Börse, which is presented in its main locations in Frankfurt and Luxembourg. To date, the Art Collection includes series of works by over eighty international artists. Further information on the collection can be found at www.deutsche-boerse.com/art.

The Photography Prize History:

Founded in 1996 by The Photographers’ Gallery, and now in its sixteenth year, the Prize has become one of the most prestigious international arts awards and has launched and established the careers of many photographers over the years. Previously known as the Citigroup Photography Prize the Gallery has been collaborating with Deutsche Börse Group as title sponsors since 2005. Winner of the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2011 was Jim Goldberg. Other past winners include Paul Graham, Juergen Teller, Rineke Dijkstra and Richard Billingham.