2 -25 November: World Press Photo Exhibit: The images of our times

What is the function of professional press photography today? How do images determine the way we look at the world? The citizens of Maastricht can now find out the answers to these questions at Centre Céramique, where the winning press photos of the 2006 World Press Photo Contest are currently on display.

The World Press Photo organisation was founded in the Netherlands in 1955, and is most known for its annual press photography competition. The prize winning photographs are exhibited all over the world, and can be seen in Maastricht until 25 November 2007. The collection of photos on display is sure to impress you, and make you think about the world and the role of images therein.

The photos at the exhibition have an amazing effect on the audience. Whether they deal with human achievements or misery, there is an immediate sense of understanding about the subjects that are portrayed. The task of photojournalism is therefore clearly not only to provide a picture to accompany a story, but also to tell its own story by using the power of images.

A remarkable thing is the existence of different layers within the stories that are told by the photos. By combining hope and destruction - for instance in the photo where people are seen praying on the ground of a destroyed mosque - photographers show the ambivalence and complexity of human experience.

The winning photo of this year’s competition by Spencer Platt, an American photojournalist for Getty Images is also very evocative in this respect. The combination of affluence and destruction generates more wonder and interest about the bombing of Beirut than any written article would. The photographer himself said about his experiences in Lebanon:

“We often think we know what war looks like, but it is not until we get to war when we realize it looks like us.”

The picture, which portrays five young Lebanese in a bright orange convertible looking at the bombed buildings of Beirut, smashes all conventional ideas we have about war. These people could have been driving around any city on the world. They don’t look like the designated victims of war. And yet their houses have been destroyed or damaged too.

World Press Photo jury chairwoman Michele McNally said:

“[It's a] picture you can keep looking at. It has the complexity and contradiction of real life, amidst chaos. This photograph makes you look beyond the obvious.”

Maybe this is why professional photography is still important now, when everybody can take a digital photo and publish it online. Photojournalism can provide the world with images that display the depth of events, and show that there is more to war than just the rubble of a destroyed neighbourhood.

By Yassin Amartib

Yassin Amartib studied at the University of Amsterdam and the Sorbonne. He writes articles about European politics and international affairs. Recently, he returned to his native Limburg to do an internship at the European Journalism Centre.

Practical information:

World Press Photo 2007: from 02.11.07 till 25.11.07
Address: Centre Céramique, Avenue Céramique 50, Maastricht.
Opening times: Tuesday & Thursday 10.30 – 20.30, Wednesday & Friday 10.30 – 17.00, Saturday 10.00 – 15.00, Sunday 13.00 – 17.00.

About World Press Photo:

World Press Photo aims to support professional press photography on a wide international scale. Promotional activities include an annual contest, exhibitions, the stimulation of photojournalism through educational programs, and creating greater visibility for press photography through a variety of publications.