Have you heard of the World Press Photo Foundation? I'm sure you have, even if the name may not really ring a bell to you. It's an organization supporting professional photojournalism, and since 1955 it holds an annual contest for the best journalistic photographs. Some of its images have become super iconic, for example the single pedestrian protestor facing military tanks in Tiananmen Square in 1989. The winning photos are assembled into a traveling exhibition visiting many countries around the world. Last year's winners are currently exhibited at the Franz Mayer Museum in Mexico City, but I'm sure they will be coming to an exhibition near you (provided you live near these locations).
A Great Place For Images
The Franz Mayer Museum is located in the center of Mexico City, and houses a huge collection of various forms of art, ranging from paintings to pottery. The building itself is also worth seeing, as it is built in gorgeous Spanish colonial style. (Now I am realizing, I probably should have taken more pics of the building itself. This one here was taken by a friend.)
The World Press Photo Exhibition did not have its own hall, instead it was set up under the terrace arcades overlooking the patio. At first I thought that was a bit strange, but there was plenty of space, even despite the relatively large crowd of visitors. All in all it was interesting enough to recommend seeing it. In Mexico it will be up until October 12th, so if you're in the city, it's worth seeing.
What About the Photos?
I don't want to flood this post with photos I took (of award winning professional photos, nonetheless). Instead, I would like to offer a taste of what this exhibition has to offer. So I decided on three of my favorite images. Believe me, there are plenty of other breath taking pics, documenting the news stories from around the world. They are also not focusing on the biggest, most typical news stories, but include things that are less reported on, from seemingly ignored regions and topics. Some examples are the environmental disaster in East Palestine, Ohio or the situation of Monkeys in Thailand, as tourism waned in the post Covid years. Of course, there are still plenty of images from Ukraine and Palestine (this time not in Ohio), but without dominating the exhibition.
Flooding in Southern Brazil
Brazil experienced the worst floods in its history last year. To make things worse, the deluge happened not around the Amazon, which ironically is going through some severe droughts, but in the South of the country.
Take a look at this truly beautiful image. The clear blue sky reflected in its calm waters portrays such a peaceful serenity... if it weren't for the fact that what we're seeing is utter destruction! Just image what the inhabitants of all those homes have lost. And this is just a small bit of the full extent of the flood. What do you think about the blue? Does it look natural, or has it been put through some filters?
Midnight Burial in Myanmar
The eerie gloominess of this picture is not deceiving! It is a graveyard in Myanmar, a country that has been going through armed conflicts due to violent regime changes and a civil war over the last years. In this image they were burying their dead in secret to save their bodies from further desecration. The mere situation is enough to make your hair stand, but the visual elements of this photo only emphasize this: the dust, the shadows standing against the light, the b&w film. Giving its background, I'm pretty sure it's not dry ice they used to create the smoke.
A Hole in the Wall in Ukraine
My third most favorite photo was taken in the Ukraine war. And it does look exactly like how most of us image it. It shows the inside of a building, where a chunk of the wall is missing. Through the hole you can look outside and see more destruction of bombed out buildings.
How come the colors are so different between the inside and the outside? Could it be that two images have been superimposed on each other, using different exposures? The film stock just looks so different! If that's the case, though, it raises the question how valid the journalism part is. As much as I like the image, it may be getting a bit too close to the realm of propaganda. (I would not be surprised, but still I like the pic.)
Have You Seen It?
So, no matter the potential doctoring and the underlying propaganda, I still liked the Word Press Photo Exhibition, and can only recommend everyone to see it too. Much more than that, I would be curious to hear what those of you thought about it, who have already visited it. Which photos were your favorites? How do you like the ones I picked? What do you think about filters and photo manipulation? Let me know in the comments!