Exhibition Preview: World Press Photo Exhibition @ Royal Festival Hall

By Zoe Craig Last edited 148 months ago
Exhibition Preview: World Press Photo Exhibition @ Royal Festival Hall
World Press Photo of the Year 2010: Jodi Bieber, South Africa, Institute for Artist Management/Goodman Gallery for Time magazine
World Press Photo of the Year 2010: Jodi Bieber, South Africa, Institute for Artist Management/Goodman Gallery for Time magazine
2nd Prize Spot News Single: Daniel Morel, Haiti. Rescue of a woman trapped under earthquake rubble, Port-au-Prince, 12 January
2nd Prize Spot News Single: Daniel Morel, Haiti. Rescue of a woman trapped under earthquake rubble, Port-au-Prince, 12 January
2nd Prize Spot News Stories: Corentin Fohlen, France, Fedephoto. Anti-government riots, Bangkok, Thailand, May
2nd Prize Spot News Stories: Corentin Fohlen, France, Fedephoto. Anti-government riots, Bangkok, Thailand, May
1st Prize General News Single: Riccardo Venturi, Italy, Contrasto. Old Iron Market burns, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 18 January
1st Prize General News Single: Riccardo Venturi, Italy, Contrasto. Old Iron Market burns, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 18 January
1st Prize General News Stories: Olivier Laban-Mattei, France, Agence France-Presse. Haiti earthquake aftermath, 15-26 January. A man throws a dead body at the morgue of the general hospital, Port-au-Prince, 15 January
1st Prize General News Stories: Olivier Laban-Mattei, France, Agence France-Presse. Haiti earthquake aftermath, 15-26 January. A man throws a dead body at the morgue of the general hospital, Port-au-Prince, 15 January
2nd Prize People In The News Single: Seamus Murphy, Ireland, VII Photo Agency. Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, London, 30 September
2nd Prize People In The News Single: Seamus Murphy, Ireland, VII Photo Agency. Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, London, 30 September
1st Prize People In The News Stories: Daniel Berehulak, Australia, Getty Images. Pakistan floods, August-September: Flood victims scramble for food as they battle the downwash from a Pakistan army helicopter during relief operations, Dadu, Pakistan, 13 September
1st Prize People In The News Stories: Daniel Berehulak, Australia, Getty Images. Pakistan floods, August-September: Flood victims scramble for food as they battle the downwash from a Pakistan army helicopter during relief operations, Dadu, Pakistan, 13 September
1st Prize Sport Single: Mike Hutchings, South Africa, for Reuters. Netherlands Demy de Zeeuw is kicked in the face by Uruguay’s Martin Cáceres during World Cup semi-final, Cape Town, 6 July
1st Prize Sport Single: Mike Hutchings, South Africa, for Reuters. Netherlands Demy de Zeeuw is kicked in the face by Uruguay’s Martin Cáceres during World Cup semi-final, Cape Town, 6 July
1st Prize Sport Stories: Adam Pretty, Australia, Getty Images. Ioran Etchechury of Brazil trips and falls headfirst, during the Boys 2000m Steeplechase, at Bishan Stadium, during the Youth Olympics in Singapore, in August
1st Prize Sport Stories: Adam Pretty, Australia, Getty Images. Ioran Etchechury of Brazil trips and falls headfirst, during the Boys 2000m Steeplechase, at Bishan Stadium, during the Youth Olympics in Singapore, in August
2nd Prize Contemporary Issues Single: Ed Kashi, USA, VII Photo Agency. Nguyen Thi Ly, 9, suffers from Agent Orange disabilities, Da Nang, Vietnam
2nd Prize Contemporary Issues Single: Ed Kashi, USA, VII Photo Agency. Nguyen Thi Ly, 9, suffers from Agent Orange disabilities, Da Nang, Vietnam
1st Prize Contemporary Issues Stories: Ed Ou, Canada, Reportage by Getty Images. Escape from Somalia, March: Four Somali refugees en route to Yemen sleep in the desert after traveling all night on muddy roads and in pouring rain, Somaliland, 15 March
1st Prize Contemporary Issues Stories: Ed Ou, Canada, Reportage by Getty Images. Escape from Somalia, March: Four Somali refugees en route to Yemen sleep in the desert after traveling all night on muddy roads and in pouring rain, Somaliland, 15 March
1st Prize Daily Life Single: Feisal Omar, Somalia, for Reuters. Man carries a shark through the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia, 23 September
1st Prize Daily Life Single: Feisal Omar, Somalia, for Reuters. Man carries a shark through the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia, 23 September

These are just some of the winning entries from the World Press Photo Competition, on display at the Royal Festival Hall from next week.

World Press Photo has held this competition of press photographer’s work annually since 1955. The accompanying exhibition is seen by more than 2 million people across more than 50 countries each year.

The London leg of the exhibition is at the Royal Festival Hall, and showcases work from photographers from 23 different countries, selected from more than 108,000 entries. The winning photos cover everything from the horrors of war to sport, arts and the natural world. Look out for the Overview of Our World section, featuring that stunning World Press Photo of the Year by South African photographer Jodi Bieber.

If you don't know it already, here's the story behind that winning shot:

Bibi Aisha, 18, was disfigured as retribution for fleeing her husband's house in Oruzgan province, in the centre of Afghanistan. At the age of 12, Aisha and her younger sister had been given to the family of a Taliban fighter under a Pashtun tribal custom for settling disputes. When she reached puberty she was married to him, but she later returned to her parents' home, complaining of violent treatment by her in-laws.

Men arrived at her house one night demanding that she be handed over to be punished for running away. Aisha was taken to a mountain clearing, where she was held down, and first had her ears sliced off, and then her nose. In local culture, a man who has been shamed by his wife is said to have lost his nose, and such treatment is considered punishment in kind.

Aisha was abandoned, but later rescued and taken to a shelter in Kabul run by the aid organization Women for Afghan Women, where she was given treatment and psychological help. After time in the refuge, she was taken to America, where she received counseling and reconstructive surgery.

The exhibition is open every day from 10am until 11pm, and entrance is free.

The World Press Photo Exhibition is on Level 2 at the Royal Festival Hall in the Southbank Centre from 11 to 29 November. Visit southbankcentre.co.uk/world-press-photo for more information.

Last Updated 07 November 2011