The World Press Photo Contest is making a return to Auckland, showing at Smith and Caughey’s from July 2-24.
Rotary Club of Auckland are delighted to announce the World Press Photo of the Year 2016 winner; Australian photographer Warren Richardson. The World Press Photo of the Year honours the photographer whose visual creativity and skills made a picture that captures or represents an event or issue of great journalistic importance in the last year.
Richardson’s image, Hope for a New Life captures a baby being handed through a hole in a razor wire barrier, to a Syrian refugee who has already managed to cross the border from Serbia into Hungary, near Röszke.
As stated on the official World Press Photo website with reference to Richardson’s winning image, Hungary was hardening its stance towards refugees attempting to enter the country. In July, Hungary began construction on a four-meter-high barrier fence along the entire length of the frontier with Serbia, to close off border crossings through all but official routes. Refugees attempted to find ways through before the fence was completed on 14 September. This group had spent four hours hiding in an apple orchard at night, dodging border police, being gassed with pepper spray, and trying to find a way across. For more about the image and to see more, click here.
Born in Australia in 1968, winner Richardson is a self-taught photographer who undertakes long-term projects dealing with human and environmental issues, as well as assignments for newspapers, magazines and companies.
The 2016 contest drew entries from around the world: 5,775 photographers from 128 countries submitted 82,951 images. There is a range of categories in which photographers can enter into, including, Contemporary Issues, Daily Life, Nature, General News, Long Term Projects and more.
The full gallery can be found at the World Press Photo website, worldpressphoto.org
The exhibition will take place on level 6, Smith and Caughey’s, Auckland.
