The Colombian photographer Juan Fernando Herr谩n has been announced as the winner of the fifth Commission. Selected by partners of the , Herr谩n will respond to the commission’s theme of Consumption and produce a series of photographs examining the material culture in three of Colombia’s indigenous communities. Revealing the result late last week, the Chairman of Prix Pictet, Stephen Barber, expressed delight in the news that Herr谩n had agreed to undertake the commission: 鈥淛uan Fernando has a deep connection with the place and its people, and in our experience this is a strong basis for a successful commission鈥.
Taking into consideration Prix Pictet’s elected theme, Herr谩n will address issues of mass-produced consumer goods in relation to the basic needs of humans. In visiting and documenting the Colombian communities of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the Amazonas and Guajira desert, the photographer will offer a renewed insight into human societies existing without the fundamental need for objects of material or economic value. The development of this project will be supported by Geneva-based charity, , who have a distinguished track record for the production of sustainability projects in Latin America. Running in parallel to the Pictet Commission is OneAction鈥檚 collaborative project with the Institute of Research, Education and Public Promotion of Ecuador (INEPE), which is being supported by Pictet.
Founded by the Pictet Group in 2008, the Prix Pictet has rapidly established itself as the world鈥檚 leading prize in photography and sustainability. Split into two sections – the Photographer鈥檚 Prize and the Photographer鈥檚 Commission – the awarding body aim to uncover outstanding photography applied to confront the most pressing social and environmental challenges of today. Herr谩n was shortlisted and later selected for the commission following a presentation of his Escalas (2008) series: a documentation of the suburban neighbourhoods of Medellin, the second most important city in Colombia. The photographer will commence the commission with a funded field trip to his selected communities, and will conclude the project with an exhibition and accompanying catalogue in London, 2015.
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Credits
1. Juan Fernando Herr谩n, Escalas 2008. Courtesy of Herr谩n and Prix Pictet.
