THINKING SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
© Pierrot Men
The Thinking Sustainability Prize recognises a photographer who addresses a sustainability issue through their practice and subject matter.
The aim: to contribute to an in-depth discussion on the sustainability and liveability of the world, by providing insights to anyone who is curious and keen to gain a better understanding of the wider issues at stake.
The nature and challenges of sustainability vary from one continent to another, which is why each continent is represented by a photographer.
To ensure a diversity of viewpoints, the rapporteurs and members of the Prize’s jury are renewed for each edition, held every two years. All are selected for the uniqueness of their voice and perspective, bringing fresh insights that often differ from those usually highlighted.
These voices – whether emerging or established – have complete freedom to choose the subject of their choice, to nominate a photographer to champion, or to vote for the work they wish to support. This allows us to discover a wide variety of photographic perspectives.
I spent many months putting together a jury and selecting nominators who were different from the usual awards. I wanted new voices as well as established ones. I wanted new voices as well as established ones.
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18 nominators from around the world
The nominators, experts in photography, had to represent all the continents (America being divided into two: North and South). They had to be from the continent they were representing, or have lived there for at least five years, to ensure they had an in-depth knowledge of the local cultural ecosystem. They each had three months to select 3 photographers from the continent they represented (or who had lived there for at least five years) to take a thoughtful look at sustainable development in their own region.
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54 applications
The jury must address the issue of the world’s sustainability and liveability. It is made up of international figures and photography experts, but may also include a poet, a philosopher, a multidisciplinary artist and directors of cultural institutions… in order to benefit from a range of perspectives on the candidates’ proposals.
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6 finalists
Each member of the jury voted for their favourite artist by continent, then for their winner from the 6 finalists.
