world-press-2023–j-f-brucel-2048

The World Press Photo
Montreal Expo is here!

Following 2022’s great success, the 16th edition has been extended by two weeks

By Jean-François Brucel

September 7, 2023

If your travels take you to Old Montreal this fall, don’t forget to visit the 2023 edition of the World Press Photo Montreal Expo, held at the Marché Bon Secours, on de la Commune Street, until October 15.

The Expo has come a long way since it was founded in 1955 by a group of Dutch photographers at a time when film and black and white reigned supreme. It wasn’t until 1967 that the first colour photo won first prize.

An ever-popular exhibition

Presented for the first time in Montreal in 2005, and given the great success of last year’s 15th edition, the organization has decided to extend the exhibition by two weeks and even open it to school groups in October.

World Press Photo Expo Montréal 2023

A man fires his gun to commemorate his deceased relatives on the border between Venezuela and Colombia – Image: © Fabiola Ferrero

Themes that are relevant today and a peek into the future

This year, the selection committee had to choose from over 60,000 photos submitted by more than 3,750 photographers from 127 countries. Divided into four categories – Single Images, Series, Long-Term Projects and Free Format – the twenty-four winners and six honourable mentions cover themes ranging from the front lines of the Ukrainian conflict, culture, identity, migration, memories of a lost past and glimpses of a near or distant future.

The winning image that welcomes us

Honoured by the World Press Photo jury for his series entitled The Nomad’s Final Journey, photographer Jonathan Fontaine received an honourable mention from the World Press Photo jury. The winning image shows 16-year-old Samira observing a refugee camp in Ethiopia. This series completes a photographic project begun in 2016 on the decline of pastoral nomadism caused by climate-change-induced droughts in the Horn of Africa.

World Press Photo Expo Montréal 2023

Image: ©Jonathan Fontaine, Hans Lucas

But the exhibition isn’t just World Press!

Six other related exhibitions share the stage, including the 2022 winners of the annual Antoine-Désilets prize awarded by the Fédération professionnelle des Journalistes du Québec, which honours the best press photography of the year in Quebec.

Also on view is Ailleurs, a large-format exhibition by Magalie Lépine-Blondeau, spokesperson for the 16th edition of World Press Photo Montreal, which takes us to five continents into the intimacy of people she has met on her travels.

In Quebec, hundreds of thousands of people face literacy challenges. Presented for the first time, the Lire entre les lignes exhibition features 11 winners of the Retour Réussite bursaries awarded by the Literacy Foundation and Fondation Desjardins. Visitors will discover the stories and resilience of these 11 individuals.

Capter l’instant features a series of authentic portraits, reflecting the essence of the work of La Presse photojournalists and their subjects. Each portrait showcases the talent of these professional photographers.

World Press Photo Expo Montréal 2023

Overview of the Fédération professionnelle des Journalistes du Québec exhibition. At right, photo of Antoine Désilets

How easy is it to spot a fake photo? Visitors can find out thanks to the Radio-Canada team’s Décrypteurs exhibition, featuring the work of Alexis De Lancer, Marie-Pier Elie, Jeff Yates and Nicholas De Rosa.

Not to be overlooked is the free outdoor exhibition by photographer M’hammed Kilito, winner of a World Press Photo award for his series entitled Before It’s Gone, presented by SDC Vieux-Montréal on rue de la Commune, near the Marché des Éclusiers. A dozen additional photos from this very large-format series will be on display until summer 2024.

M’hammed Kilito is a National Geographic documentary photographer and explorer based in Casablanca. Moroccan and multilingual, he spent 15 years in Canada, where he studied at the Université de Montréal. It was during his years of study in the metropolis that he discovered World Press Photo, an event that would influence the rest of his career. His images have been shown at festivals and museums worldwide and in publications such as The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The British Journal of Photography, Vogue Italia, L’Express, Libération and El Pais.

World Press Photo Expo Montréal 2023

World Press Photo Montreal Expo

General admission: $15 + taxes
Student card, seniors 65+: $12 + taxes
10 years and under: $0

For more information, visit expo-wppmtl.ca

Images: Jean-François Brucel, unless otherwise stated
Feature image: A glimpse of Ailleurs, by Jean-François BrucelBouton S'inscrire à l'infolettre – WestmountMag.ca

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photo: Jean-François Brucel - WestmountMag.ca

Jean-François Brucel is a Montreal visual artist in the fields of screen-printing, acrylic and photography. Specialized training in screen-printing and acrylic transfers enabled Jean-François to broaden his horizons in the visual arts.



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