German photographer Michael Schmidt was last night awarded the 2014 Prix Pictet photography prize for his work Lebensmittel (food stuff), made between 2006 and 2010. Presented the 100,000 Swiss Francs (£66,800) prize by Kofi Annan, honorary president of Prix Pictet, at a ceremony at the V&A, London, Schmidt was chosen from a shortlist of 11 photographers.
The other shortlisted photographers are: Adam Bartos (United States), Motoyuki Daifu (Japan), Rineke Dijkstra (The Netherlands), Hong Hao (China), Mishka Henner (Belgium), Juan Fernando Herrán (Colombia), Boris Mikhailov (Ukraine), Abraham Oghobase (Nigeria), Allan Sekula (United States) and Laurie Simmons (United States).
Speaking at the ceremony, Annan said: “The shortlisted artists have made powerful images that ought to persuade governments, businesses – and each of us as individual consumers – of the need for a fundamental rethink of the principles on which present-day affluence is founded. The issue of unsustainable consumption, and in particular food and nutrition security, is not simply at the forefront of the global political stage, it is now firmly on the personal agenda of each and every one of us.”
Sir David King, chair of the judges, said: “We were privileged to review work by 11 truly outstanding photographers. There were many potential winners but, after much debate, we finally agreed to award the Prix Pictet to Michael Schmidt whose Lebensmittel is an epic and hugely topical investigation into the ways in which we feed ourselves.”
The Prix Pictet was founded in 2008 and this year sees the inauguration of its partnership with the V&A, credited as the first museum in the world to collect and exhibit photography as an art form. The partnership will include the creation of a fund to support the acquisition of contemporary photographic works, selected by a committee including Martin Barnes, senior curator of photographs at the V&A.
Prix Pictet at the V&A continues until 14 June. www.prixpictet.com
