An exhibition of works by talented young photographers selected by the Andrei Stenin Contest jury opened in Johannesburg, South Africa, as part of the ongoing African tour
JOHANNESBURG (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th February, 2019) An exhibition of works by talented young photographers selected by the Andrei Stenin Contest jury opened in Johannesburg, South Africa, as part of the ongoing African tour.
The 2018 winners' tour started in Moscow in early November. The winning photos will be on display at the Market Photo Workshop in Johannesburg until February 25.
The brilliant images from the exhibition's almost 50 photographs include The Desire to Live, a moving work by Iraqi photographer Taisir Mahdi featuring a young amputee and football player, who personifies the powerful and positive energy of hope and faith in the future; the colorful Cranberry Heart by Belarusian photographer Sergei Gapon; a touching portrait of a Nenets boy amidst a snow-covered landscape by Israeli photographer Oded Wagenstein; the black and white series Ultras on Ligurian football fans seen through the lens of Italian photographer Andrea Alai, and many other works.
The exhibition in Johannesburg also presents the Grand Prix winning series How I Fell Ill by Russian photographer Alyona Kochetkova, which documents her dramatic fight against cancer.
"Photography is a unique multifaceted and authentic art form, which allows bringing to the audience the most poignant and intricate moments, to highlight most topical stories on the very edge of life. The International Stenin Press Photo Contest is an excellent opportunity for young photographers from all around the globe to draw attention and make one's name. It is no coincidence that this annual Contest is held in commemoration of Andrei Stenin, who died in the line of duty in eastern Ukraine in 2014. We celebrate and cherish Mr Stenin's abilities and professionalism, are happy to see that under his name young talents establish themselves as artists," Russian Ambassador to South Africa Mikhail Petrakov said before the opening ceremony.
In a video message to guests and participants of the opening ceremony, Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency's Director of Photography Alexander Shtol pointed out that South African photographer Justin Sullivan was also awarded in the 2018 contest.
"For the second year in a row Johannesburg has been one of the cities hosting our exhibition. We are happy that local photojournalists participate in the contest, winning various nominations. This year, South African photographer Justin Sullivan took the first prize in the Top News Single category for his 'Stand Off.' The award-winning photo not only draws attention to the complex topic of public protests, but also serves as a reminder of how difficult and dangerous a photo correspondent's work is," he said.
ANA news agency Director of Photography Ian Landsberg expressed satisfaction with the fact that the exhibition of the Andrei Stenin photo contest has been hosted by South Africa for the second year in a row.
"It is an exciting opportunity to have for the second year the exhibition of winning images of the 2018 Andrei Stenin International Photo Contest at The Market Photo Workshop in Johannesburg. Showcasing the winning works of intrepid and talented international photojournalists at this venue is another step in reaching the objective of this school of photography to 'ensure that visual literacy reaches the neglected and marginalized parts of our society,'" Landsberg said.
The Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest was launched by Rossiya Segodnya under the aegis of the Russian Commission for UNESCO. Its main goal is to support young photographers and draw public attention to the challenges of modern photojournalism. This contest is a platform for young photographers; talented, empathetic and open-minded, they draw our attention to people and events around us.
In 2019, the general media partners of the contest include the news website Vesti.Ru and the Russian state Rossiya-Kultura tv channel. The list of international information partners of the contest includes Sputnik International Information Agency and Radio, Askanews Information Agency, Independent Media Holding, Notimex News Agency, ANA News Agency, RT channel and website, Shanghai United Media Group (SUMG), China Daily website, PNA news agency, AlYoum AlSabee newspaper and website, The Paper website, and Al Mayadeen media network. The industry partners supporting the contest are the Russian Photo and Photo-study.ru websites, School of Visual Arts, academy of Photography, the YOung JOurnalists information portal, the Contrastes magazine, the Fotoargenta magazine, the All About Photo website, and PhotON festival as an international partner.
