We are delighted that Austrian artist VALIE EXPORT has been shortlisted alongside Gauri Gill & Rajesh Vangad, Lebohang Kganye and Hrair Sarkissian for this years Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize at the Photographers' Gallery.
This year’s shortlisted artists all show the power of photography to explore, investigate and interrogate our world.
VALIE EXPORT (b. 1940, Austria) became notorious from the late 1960s for her radical performances and critical examination of women’s role in society and the arts. Photography has played a pivotal role in her work, from documentation to multimedia installations and single works.
Through fusing photography and Warli painting, photographer Gauri Gill (b. 1970, India) and painter Rajesh Vangad (b. 1975, India) collaboratively explore how viewers ascribe meaning to a place and how the act of viewing itself creates complicity. They encourage viewers to explore the hidden, elusive layers that exist beneath the surface.
Lebohang Kganye’s (b. 1990, South Africa) photographic projects cross personal and collective histories. Her skilful blending of images and words allows her to navigate the complexity of the South African experience, opening new ways of understanding and contributing to the process of decolonisation.
Hrair Sarkissian’s (b. 1973, Syria) conceptual photography focuses on deeply personal narratives that reflect the complexity of larger historical and social issues. Large-scale photographs, film and installations all aim to evoke emotional experiences, foster awareness and a sense of solidarity.
