From Gaza to US Capitol Attack: Prix Pictet Photography Exhibition Debuts in Taiwan

From the countless hands in the Gaza Strip to the 2021 attack on the US Capitol, the Prix Pictet exhibition makes its debut in Taiwan, revealing the instantaneous power of photography to capture turbulent events while exploring global sustainability through diverse forms like daguerreotypes and 30-meter-long works. Founded by the Swiss Pictet Group in 2008, Prix Pictet is dedicated to using imagery to lead the public's focus on sustainability issues. The 11th edition, titled 'Storm,' has been exhibited since last September at London's V&A Museum and Dubai's Ishara Art Foundation, moving to the Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts in Taipei this April. Liao Tzu-ning, director of Gallery 1839, told the media today that the award is held every two years with a specific theme and 350 nominators. The winner receives approximately NT$4 million. This exhibition features 12 shortlisted and winning artists who have broken boundaries of medium. For example, Peruvian artist Roberto Huarcaya created 'Amazogram,' a 30-meter-long work using light-sensitive paper laid on the Amazon riverbed. Japanese artist Takashi Arai presented 6x6cm daguerreotypes from nuclear history sites, serving as 'monuments.' Palestinian artist Belal Khaled brought scenes from Gaza refuge hospitals, focusing on hands as symbols of struggle and solidarity. Hungarian photographer Balazs Gardi documented the 2021 US Capitol attack as a 'storm' within a mature democracy. The exhibition runs in Taipei until June 14.