Disorder

Disorder ²⁰¹⁶

Yang Yongliang, From the New World, 2014.

The theme of the sixth cycle of the Prix Pictet photography prize is Disorder. The work of the twelve finalists selected for the sixth cycle was first shown at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris in November 2015. Here the French photographer Valérie Belin was awarded the CHF 100,000 winner’s prize by Honorary President Kofi Annan.

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In the energy exchange of life on Earth, the natural world maintains a delicate balance between order and disorder. We ought to be more conscious of how our own actions upset this balance.

Stephen Barber, Chairman, Prix Pictet, commenting on the theme of Disorder.

Shortlist

Valérie Belin, Still Life, 2014

Ilit Azoulay, Imaginary Order, 2012-2014

Matthew Brandt, Honeybees, 2009-2012

Maxim Dondyuk, Culture of the Confrontation, 2014

Alixandra Fazzina, A Million Shillings – Escape from Somalia, 2008

Ori Gersht, Blow Up, 2009

John Gossage, Should Nature Change, 2010-2014

Pieter Hugo, Permanent Error, 2009-2010

Gideon Mendel, Drowning World, 2008-2014

Sophie Ristelhueber, Eleven Blowups, 2006

Brent Stirton, A Violation of Eden, 2007-2014

Yang Yongliang, Artificial Wonderland, 2014

Jury

The jury for the Prix Pictet are a group of leading experts in the visual arts from around the world including directors of major museums and galleries as well as journalists and critics. They lead the global search for images of high artistic qcuality and narrative power and fit the theme of a particular cycle.

The natural order of things is being overturned. Everywhere we find signs of the threat that humanity poses to the planet, the consequence of our addiction to carbon-based energy and our blind belief in limitless rises in production. Our attempts to impose order simply draws attention to the pervasive disorder. With each passing day our illusion of order is shattered.

Kofi Annan writes in his introduction to the book, “Disorder.”

Winner interview

At a special presentation at Les Rencontres d'Arles in 2016 the winner of Prix Pictet Disorder Valérie Belin spoke with Philip Prodger - Head of Photographs Collection at the National Portrait Gallery.