The World Press Photo Exhibititon, an annually organised international photo competition, has been on display in Hungary since 21 September in the Museum of Ethnography in Budapest and eventually it has come to its final days. A great many people have already visited the exhibition, but it is still not late for those interested in photography and a thought-provoking outing to go and participate in the world-famous exhibition.
This year’s display, similarly to that of last year, is a great success so much so, that thanks to the great interest in the event, the organisers announced on their Facebook page some new dates for guided tours with 2 Hungarian experts: István Virágvölgyi, the professor of the Budapest Metropolitan University and the secretary of the Robert Capa Photography Grand Prize in Hungary, and also with András Bánkuti, a photo reporter and the chief editor of the Digital Photo Magazine. The guided tours are free for anyone with a valid entrance ticket and provide an approximately 1-hour-long lecture during which they familiarize the visitors with the photos of this year’s winners.
The tour is extremely though-provoking from the very beginning, since it provides a poignant and honest portrait of social problems. It further reveals that, in fact, it is hard to talk about objectivity or objective perspective in photography because the mere thing of presenting something reflects the artist’s field of interest and this is what shapes our way of looking at things, too.
The subjects of these photos vary greatly: from unforgettable sport moments (like Usain Bolt’s 100m run) through the problem of migration and crossings between the EU and Turkey to environmental and animal problems,
the photos intend to capture those moments with which many can associate and feel affected by.
Suprisingly and shockingly, within a moment, we find ourselves in a world full of inhumanities, injustices where even the photos talk about the lack of helping hands in many cases.
This year’s winner is a controversial photo by Burhan Ozbilici who witnessed the assassination of Andrey Karlov, the Russian ambassador, by an off-duty police officer, while speaking at an art gallery. The series of shootings reflect the terrible moments that passed between the murdering and the arrival of the police who finally shot the murderer. In the series, the faces of the people involved in the crime reflect shock, incredulity and grief at the same time. Anyone can be taken aback by witnessing this terrible transgression, while the artist did not seem to be affected so much as not to be able to shoot an some incredible photos about it.
The tour with István Virágvölgyi also highlighted that the heated debate around the winning photo was due to the central issue it emphasizes and the questions it might raise in people. In fact, the jury hesitated in awarding the prize to Ozbilici because they did not want people to regard it as an advertisement of terrorism through the media. Thus, what is regarded to be the main aim of the Islamic countries, to spread its messages through the media, might be strengthened by this photo.
Regardless of this, we cannot question the greatness of the courage it needed to seize this moment.
Apart from the foreign artists, the Hungarian Bence Máté is also among the winners. He is best known for his bird shootings and now, in this competition, he won the 3rd prize in the Nature category. His photos portray the beauty of the wildlife and make us think about the tremendous work and dedication required for the photos to be born. Until 23 October, the visitors of the Museum of Ethnography can also see his collected photos in the gallery.
During the long weekend, the museum is open to the public on Friday, Saturday and even on Monday (23 October) until 20 o’clock, while on Sunday they close at 18 o’clock.
Don’t miss the chance to be part of an unforgettable experience for the last time.
Featured image: facebook.com/worldpressphotobudapest
Source: facebook.com/worldpressphotobudapest/
