06 May – 02 June 2011 / Museum of Photography, Thessaloniki

Participating artists: Christian Als, Edward Burtynsky, Stéphane Couturier, Mitch Epstein, Chris Jordan, Yeondoo Jung, Vera Lutter, Nyaba Leon Ouedraogo, Taryn Simon, Thomas Struth, Guy Tillim, Michael Wolf

“It is difficult to look at this exhibition without being moved, even angered. And yet, however bleak their message, the creativity and spirit of these artists also gives us hope that we, the human race, have the capacity to find, to agree and to realise the answers to these challenges.”
Kofi Annan

The Museum of Photography, Thessaloniki in the framework of the parallel events of PhotoBiennale, continuing the collaboration with the Swiss Bank Pictet and Candlestar (London), presents the exhibition “Growth”; an exhibition that consists of the works of the 12 shortlisted artists of the Prix Pictet, 2010.
Launched in 2008 by the Geneva-based private bank Pictet & Cie, the Prix Pictet has rapidly established itself as a global prize in photography and sustainability. The themes of the Prix Pictet were “Water” (2008), “Earth” (2009) and “Growth” (2010).

The theme of the 2010 Prix Pictet was “growth”. At once a blessing and a curse, “growth”, in all its forms, presents one of the great conundrums facing humanity in the early decades of the twenty-first century. From the dizzying expansion of our cities with their ever increasing dependency on scarce natural resources to the relentless growth of populations and the need to feed ourselves, the theme of Growth presents a rich creative challenge. However, just as growth threatens to bring environmental catastrophe, so it improves the health and living standards of untold millions around the world. We now face a global crisis in land use and agriculture that could undermine the health, security, and sustainability of our civilization. Meeting these huge new demands will be one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century.

Kofi Annan, Honorary President of the Prix Pictet, announced on March 2011, Mitch Epstein as the winner of the third Prix Pictet photography prize for environmental sustainability. The prize is sponsored by the Swiss bank, Pictet & Cie, with a value of 100,000 Swiss Francs.
www.prixpictet.com