© Zalmaï, The Jungle “The End of Mirage”, L’Hebdo
Swiss Press Photo 17 winner
Two of the most prestigious exhibitions for photo journalism have just opened at the Château de Prangins in Vaud.
Swiss Press Photo 17
From 10 November 2017 to 4 March 2018, the Swiss National Museum at the Château de Prangins will present the best Swiss press photographs of 2016 at Swiss Press Photo 17, an annual competition first launched in 1991 to recognize the outstanding work of this profession in Switzerland. Each of the award-winning photos selected in this year's competition shed light on worldwide current events, from migrant flows to climate change, as well as some less familiar topics, such as caring for elderly drug addicts and transporting cattle by boat on Lake Zurich.
First prize this year went to Zalmaï, a former migrant from Afghanistan, for his report on the evacuation of the “Calais jungle”. In his reportage for L’Hebdo he photographed migrants as they were expelled from the Calais refugee camp in October 2016, setting off on the next stage of their journey through Europe. In his winning photo, he captures a group of migrants taking a final photo to preserve a memory not just of despair, but also of solidarity.
At a press conference to launch Swiss Press Photo 17, Mark Henley talks about his winning photos in the "People" section, entitled "The Coming Man".
Anthony Anex won the award in the “News” section for his Keystone photo of flamingos in quarantine to protect them from bird flu, while Rolf Neeser came first in the “Daily Life” category with his reportage for L’illustré on caring for elderly drug addicts. Stephan Rappo took first prize in the “Swiss Stories” category with his unusual series of images of a herd of cows being transported across Lake Zurich. In the “People” category, Mark Henley topped the poll with his photos of the new president of Switzerland’s CVP in Das Magazin while the first prize in “Sports” went to Urs Bucher for his unusual images of female rugby players published in the St. Galler Tagblatt.
World Press Photo 17
In addition to seeing the best Swiss press photos of 2016 at the Château de Prangins, visitors will also have the opportunity to see the best world press photos of 2016,
As a traveling exhibition, visiting around 100 cities in around 45 countries, World Press Photo 17 is the world’s leading contest for professional press photographers, photojournalists and documentary photographers.
The 2017 contest drew entries from around the world: 5,034 photographers from 125 countries submitted 80,408 images. The jury gave prizes in eight categories to 45 photographers from 25 countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Syria, New Zealand, Turkey, UK, and USA.
© Burhan Ozbilici, An Assassination in Turkey, The Associated Press
World Press Photo 17 winner
Possibly one of the most controversial winners in the contest’s 60-year history, this year’s winning photo was an image by Turkish photographer Burhan Ozbilici. Ozbilici’s picture, which also won first prize in the Spot News Stories category, shows how Mevlüt Mert Altıntas, a 22-year-old off-duty police officer, assassinated the Russian ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, at an art exhibition in Ankara, Turkey, on 19 December 2016.
Talking about the winning photo, Mary F. Calvert, member of the jury, said “It was a very very difficult decision, but in the end the majority felt that the picture was an explosive image that really spoke to the hatred of our times.”
You can see this photo and all other winning entries on display at the Château for a limited period between between 10 November and 10 December 2017.
Since some of the photos are quite disturbing, particularly for children, you can view all the winning entries for the World Press Photo exhibition online before you visit at: https://www.worldpressphoto.org/collection/photo/2017
Château de Prangins exhibition rooms at World Press Photo 17
Special Press Photographs Day
Access to both of the temporary press exhibitions is included in the price of your ticket to enter the Château, details below. However, on Sunday 4 February 2018, there will be a special “Press Photographs” day at the château, with free entry for all between 10h and 18h. With many of the award-winning photographers for Swiss Press Photo 17 in attendance as well, this day will provide visitors with a unique opportunity to find out more about the process of taking world-class photos and the inspiration behind them.
Swiss Press Photo 17: 10 November to 4 March 2018
World Press Photo 17: 10 November to 10 December 2017
Swiss National Museum
Château de Prangins
Av. Général Guiguer 3
CH – 1197 Prangins
058 469 38 90
www.chateaudeprangins.ch
Open daily from Tuesday to Sunday
Open 24 & 31 December 2017 and 2 January 2018
(Closed 25 December 2017 and 1 January 2018)
Entry price
Adults Fr. 10.-
AVS, AI, AC, student, militaire Fr. 8.-
Children (up to 16 years) Free
