Four innovative photographers have been shortlisted for the prestigious Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize, worth approximately $40,000, showcasing diverse works that explore contemporary issues from artificial intelligence manipulation to women's prison conditions. The nominees—Weronika Gęsicka, Jane Evelyn Atwood, Amak Mahmoodian, and Rene Matić—present compelling projects that examine themes of exile and memory, gender inequality, subculture and class dynamics, and the blurring boundaries between photographic truth and fiction.
Rene Matić has been recognized for their Berlin exhibition "As Opposed to the Truth," which features newly produced photographs, installations, and sound pieces rooted in identity, belonging, subculture, class, and family dynamics. Matić's artistic practice spans photography, film, and sculpture, converging in what they describe as "rude(ness)"—a space for evidencing and honoring the in-between. Their diaristic, snapshot-style photography captures everyday moments with poetic intimacy, including works like "Self Portrait with Mohawk" from 2024 and "Jabari Gooden memorial flowers, Peckham" from 2022. In an era of rising right-wing populism and performative compassion, Matić turns to interpersonal relationships as spaces of resistance and care, using intimacy, vulnerability, and desire as tools for survival.
Weronika Gęsicka earned her nomination for the photobook "Encyclopaedia," which draws inspiration from a fascinating historical phenomenon: fake entries intentionally inserted into reference books to catch copyright violations or allow editors to leave their mark on texts. These fabricated "factoids" subtly contribute to the erosion of trust in sources once considered authoritative. Gęsicka presents several hundred of these manufactured definitions sourced from archived publications, visually reinterpreting them using manipulated stock photos and AI-generated imagery. Her work includes pieces titled "Near Dark," "Bessa Vugo," "Eachy 1 (fragment)," and "Argusto Emfazie," all highlighting the tension between truth and invention in our information-saturated world where news, advertising, and fiction increasingly overlap.
Amak Mahmoodian has been shortlisted for her exhibition "One Hundred and Twenty Minutes" at the Bristol Photo Festival, a multidisciplinary project spanning photography, poetry, text, drawing, and video. The exhibition explores the dream lives of exiles and how new lives are formed through dreams and memories of lost landscapes. Over six years, Mahmoodian collaborated closely with 16 participants from 14 different countries, giving visual and poetic form to their dreams. As a multidisciplinary artist who began her career in Iran and has been based in the United Kingdom since 2010, unable to return to her homeland, Mahmoodian understands how dreams offer vital connections to lost homes and families, bridging reality and imagination.
Jane Evelyn Atwood's nomination comes from her publication "Too Much Time / Trop de Peines," a revised bilingual reprint of two works originally published in 2000 and updated by Le Bec en l'Air, Marseille, in 2024. The work stems from a decade-long investigation during which she accompanied incarcerated women in 40 prisons across nine countries throughout the 1990s, documenting the harsh realities faced by female inmates. Her powerful black-and-white photographs reveal limited access to hygienic facilities, inadequate gynecological and mental healthcare, and stark inequalities compared to male prisoners. Notable images include a handcuffed pregnant inmate in pain during a gynecological examination moments before giving birth by cesarean at Providence City Hospital in Anchorage, Alaska in 1993, and scenes from various international facilities including the Centre Pénitentiaire Les Baumettes in Marseille, France.
Atwood's intimate documentary photography is rooted in long-term commitment and unwavering advocacy for women in prison—a cause she continues to champion today. Her work brings visibility to lives and stories often ignored, driven by a deep commitment to social justice and a desire to expose systems of exclusion. The relevance of her work has only grown more urgent, as the global female prison population has increased by 50-60% since 2000.
The shortlisted works will be displayed at The Photographers' Gallery in London from March 6 to June 7, 2026, offering visitors an immersive experience of these groundbreaking photographic projects. At a time when ideological shifts continue to marginalize migrants and displaced communities, and when AI-generated content becomes increasingly common, these four artists provide crucial perspectives on truth, identity, justice, and human connection in contemporary society.
