Trevor Paglen wins the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2016

Trevor Paglen has been awarded the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2016 in London on Thursday night at a special ceremony in the Photographers’ Gallery. The annual award comes with a prize money of 30,000 GBP and recognizes a photographer who has made an important contribution to contemporary photography in Europe in the previous twelve months.

Paglen won for his exhibition “The Octopus” at Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt, Germany (20 June - 30 August 2015). Paglen’s project aims to represent complex topics like mass surveillance, data collection, classified satellite and drone activities and the systems of power connected to them. Paglen’s installation comprise images of restricted military and government areas, skylines showing the flight tracks of passing drones, sculptural elements and research assembled in collaboration with scientist, amateur astronomers and human rights activists. Through his work Paglen demonstrates that secrets cannot be hidden from view, but that their traces and structures are visible evidence in the landscape.

The other shortlisted artists for the Deutsche Börse Photography FoundationPrize 2016, each awarded 3,000 GBP, are: Laura El-Tantawy, Erik Kessels and Tobias Zielony.

Brett Rogers, non-voting Chair of the Jury and Director of The Photographers’ Gallery said, on behalf of the jury: “The jury recognised Trevor Paglen’s project The Octopus for its significant contribution to current issues that deal with the disquieting impact of the unseen aspects of technology on our daily lives. They acknowledged the depth of research and variety of approaches he has developed to deal with subjects ranging from government and military surveillance to drone warfare. He successfully transforms these invisible means of control into compelling aesthetic objects and photographs, often referencing modernist paintings.”

Anne-Marie Beckmann, Director, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation said: "We congratulate the winner of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2016, Trevor Paglen. It is our great pleasure to continue the long term-commitment to the Prize and our engagement in promoting contemporary photography with the newly established Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation. We are delighted to present one of the most renowned photography prize under its new title.”

They Watch the Moon, 2010 © Trevor Paglen. Courtesy of the artist

The artists were chosen by jury members David Drake, Director Ffotogallery, Cardiff; Alfredo Jaar, Artist; Wim van Sinderen, Senior Curator at The Hague Museum of Photography; Anne-Marie Beckmann, Curator Art Collection Deutsche Börse and Brett Rogers, Director, The Photographers’ Gallery, as the non-voting chair.

The Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2016 is on display at The Photographers’ Gallery until 3July 2016. It will be followed by a presentation at the Deutsche Börse headquarters, The Cube, in Frankfurt/Eschborn from 2 September to 28 October 2016.