The theme of the third Prix Pictet is Growth.
At once a blessing and a curse, growth, in all
its forms, is 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 consumption of scarce natural
resources to the relentless growth of
populations and the need to feed ourselves.
So growth is a paradox. Just as it threatens
to bring environmental catastrophe, so it
improves living standards and health for
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 civilisation. Meeting these
huge new demands will be one of the greatest
challenges of the twenty-first century.
This paradoxical theme has proved to be a
rich source of inspiration to the artists and
nominators of the third cycle of the Prix Pictet.
Over 450 nominated artists submitted many
outstanding images that communicated
powerful messages about the devastating
impact of unsustainable human enterprise.
After much debate, the independent
Jury shortlisted twelve artists from eight
different countries for the third Prix Pictet.
In shortlisting these photographers, it is
inevitable that some remarkable individual
images from other photographers have
been excluded.
This book brings many of these photographs
together with those made by the shortlisted
photographers and, in doing so, presents a
haunting testament to the consequences of
a headlong dash for growth. Taken together
they constitute a compelling call for action.
As Kofi Annan, the Prix Pictet's Honorary
President, has said, "These images deepen
our understanding of the changes taking
place in our world, raise public awareness
of the scale of the threat we face and the
urgency of taking preventative action."
The skill, imagination and mastery of form
that each of the artists featured in this
book brings to their work speaks for itself.
What is less obvious is the conviction and,
in many cases, the courage with which they
have documented the harmful and often
irreversible effects of exploiting the Earth's
resources and the long-term impact of
unsustainable development on communities
across the globe. It is these qualities too that
Growth intends to recognise. In the words of
photographer, critic and Prix Pictet nominator
Jörg M. Colberg, "This is not art for art's sake;
it is art for our own sake."
