The jury did not have it easy: Around 100 works were viewed for the Lagois Photo Prize 2023. "The submitted photo reportages and works show a wide range in the choice of topics and come from all over the world," explained curator Rieke C. Harmsen.
The works submitted included numerous reports on climate projects or climate-related changes in the global world. But also the demonstrations in Lützerath or in Hambacher Forst, portraits of people of the "Last Generation", as well as local initiatives and regional environmental projects were among the applications.
The jury has drawn up a shortlist from the entries:
- Gerhard Westrich with "I wish - What is your most urgent wish for politics?“ This is the question the independent Berlin-based photographer explores in his photo series. Through individual portraits, he wants to show a section of what German society wants from politics in dealing with climate protection.
- Gil Bartz with "1.5 degrees": The freelance documentary photographer from Braunschweig travels through Germany for his photo series to photograph people who live in a climate-friendly way. Therefore, he portrays nuns, farmers and climate activists of the "last generation".
- Daniel Chatard with "No Man's Land": In his project, the German-French photographer deals with the conflict over the extraction of brown coal in the Rhenish coalfield. In his photo series he documents the protest of the environmental movement in Lützerath.
- Jan Richard Heinicke with "The Past is the Key to the Future": The Dortmund photographer documents paleoclimatology. This deals with the reconstruction of climate developments that date back millennia and millions of years. The examination of tree rings is as much a part of the picture series as a sediment core from the North Atlantic.
- York Hovest with "Plastic Collectors of Haiti": The Munich photographer accompanied with his camera the "Social Plastic Project" in Haiti, which wants to return plastic to the recycling cycle. The people are compensated for their efforts with money, electricity or food.
- Kathrin Jansen with "Self-sufficiency": In her project, the freelance photographer presents self-sufficiency as a component of climate-friendly living. She portrays people from northern Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia who are self-sufficient on a small or large scale.
- Chantal Pinzi with "Extractivism": In her reportage, the photographer deals with the resistance of the Wayúu indigenous group against exploitation through mining. The focus is on the commitment of indigenous women and climate activists.
- Nyani Quarmyne with "The Wrong Tree": The freelance photographer from Düsseldorf deals in his project with the handling of invasive tree species in South Africa. These species pose a threat to the ecosystem due to their particular vulnerability to fires and enormous water consumption.
From this shortlist, the jury will select a prize winner. The jury also met for the Youth Prize. A total of three prize winners were selected. The Lagois scholarship has already been awarded - to the documentary photographer Sandra Weller from Frankfurt.
The official award ceremony with all prize winners will take place on Wednesday, 25 October 2023 at 4.30 pm at ConSozial in Nuremberg. The exhibition "Sustainable living" will be opened after the award ceremony and can be borrowed by interested parties throughout Germany or booked as a poster exhibition.
The patron of the Lagois photo competition is the regional bishop for Munich and Upper Bavaria, Christian Kopp. Cooperation partners are Evangelische Jugend in Bayern (ejb), Mission EineWelt, Oikocredit Germany, the Environmental Department of the Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern, Diakonie Bayern, ConSozial trade fair and Pigture printing company.