About
Process
Prix Pictet 2009 - Earth
Entry to the Prix Pictet is by nomination. The prize benefits from the expertise and recommendations of over 70 leading experts in the visual arts and the media acting as nominators.
Once the nomination had been received by the Prix Pictet Secretariat, each nominated candidate was asked to provide a series of pictures coherently defined and limited to no more than ten images. In the event of there being more than one nominated series the photographer was invited by the Secretariat to select the series that should go forward for consideration by the Jury.
Most portfolios were by professionals and all were of a professional standard. Some work had already been published and all was of publishable standard.
All submissions were made online in a private artists’ zone on the Prix Pictet website. The Jury’s initial consideration of the submitted work also took place online. Their final decision was made following an assessment of the work in a gallery setting.
The Prix Pictet 2009 was judged by an independent Jury of internationally recognised experts led by Francis Hodgson, photography Critic for the Financial Times and the former Head of Photographs at Sotheby’s.
In the search for images the subject matter is not tightly defined, and neither is the technique used to produce the image. The judges were simply looking for original contributions which, in their opinion, made best use of the resources of photography to communicate the issues concerning the topic for the year of Earth. No distinction is made between artistic merit and success in communicating the message. Where a distinction is drawn, a choice was made between individual images of considerable power and groups of powerful images arranged as a series. Ultimately, artists submitting images grouped in a coherent series will be at an advantage.
In making their final decision on the award the judges made no distinction between photographs of different genres, nor did they assume different potential types of audience for any class of photograph.
Although the judges look for photographic excellence, no preference is given to any particular kind of photographic material, technique or creative route, nor are any of these excluded from consideration. An artist using photographs, for example, is judged by precisely the same criteria as a photojournalist or a commercial photographer, or a professional in another field for whom photography may be no more than one of many tools.
Following the judges selection of the shortlist, the artists concerned were contacted by the Secretariat and invited to submit their work for the shortlist exhibition which was held in Paris in October 2009. At that point each artist was sent a full set of terms and conditions covering their engagement with the Prix Pictet. Each shortlisted artist is also able to apply for a production and travel grant of up to USD 4,000.
Aside from the overall Prix Pictet winner, one of the shortlisted photographers is each year invited to complete the Prix Pictet Commission. This is focussed on a country or region where Pictet & Cie are supporting a sustainability project related to the theme of the year’s award.
