Photography remains one of the most vital ways we examine society, culture and the intimate contours of human experience. The Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2026, hosted at The Photographers’ Gallery in London from 6 March to 7 June, continues this tradition, foregrounding the ways contemporary photographers challenge perception, narrative and the politics of representation. Established in 1996, the Prize identifies and rewards artists for an exhibition or book that has made a significant contribution to photography in the previous twelve months. Over three decades, it has become a barometer for innovation and social engagement, spotlighting work that is aesthetically compelling while deeply attuned to contemporary issues. This year, the shortlist includes Jane Evelyn Atwood, Weronika Gęsicka, Amak Mahmoodian and Rene Matić, whose practices traverse documentary, conceptual and multimedia approaches. Themes of exile, identity, memory, social inequality and the shifting boundaries between fact and fiction underpin the works, creating a resonant dialogue about the world we inhabit.
Originating as the Citigroup Photography Prize, the award has consistently recognised artists whose work combines formal inventiveness with social commentary. Lindokuhle Sobekwa, the 2025 winner, exemplifies this through his book I carry Her Photo with Me (MACK, 2024), a series of intimate portraits capturing families affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis in South Africa. Sobekwa’s ability to merge personal narrative with historical consciousness reflects the Prize’s dedication to empathetic engagement and narrative depth. Similarly, Lebohang Kganye, who won in 2024, interweaves photography and performance to explore heritage, identity and intergenerational memory, creating a dialogue between the personal and collective. In 2023, Samuel Fosso’s celebrated work in portraiture and self-staging established a precedent for photography as both historical reclamation and subversive commentary. Across these years, the Prize has demonstrated a commitment to recognising artists who challenge conventions while foregrounding urgent social, cultural and political questions, setting the stage for this year’s compelling shortlist.
Tracing this lineage, Jane Evelyn Atwood’s updated bilingual reprint Too Much Time / Trop de Peines (Le Bec En L’Air, 2024) embodies a continuation of documentary advocacy. “The intimacy of her black-and-white images is rooted in her long-term commitment and unwavering advocacy for women in prison – a cause Atwood continues to champion today,” the press release notes, underscoring how her work bridges decades of research and ongoing activism. Her ten-year investigation across forty prisons in nine countries reveals stark inequalities in healthcare and hygiene for female inmates, giving visibility to lives often overlooked. Weronika Gęsicka’s Encyclopaedia (BLOW UP PRESS, 2024) interrogates the instability of truth, presenting hundreds of fabricated dictionary entries alongside AI-generated imagery. By destabilising notions of authority, Gęsicka highlights how knowledge once seen as stable is now a shifting terrain. Mahmoodian’s exhibition One Hundred and Twenty Minutes (Bristol Photo Festival, 2024) translates collaborative dreaming into immersive photography, video and poetry, offering insight into exile, memory and identity. Meanwhile, Rene Matić’s AS OPPOSED TO THE TRUTH (CCA Berlin, 2024–25) blends photography, sound and collected objects to examine intimacy, subculture and survival.
Exploring these themes, Mahmoodian’s collaborative process invites reflection on the emotional landscapes of displacement, illustrating how shared creativity can bridge political and geographic boundaries. Gęsicka’s humour and critical approach to information destabilises received notions of truth in an age dominated by misinformation. Atwood’s humanist lens foregrounds lived experience, revealing systemic injustice through prolonged engagement and empathy, while Matić’s diaristic snapshots and installations celebrate the resilience found in everyday relationships. As the press release observes, “the Deutsche Borse Photography Foundation Prize 2026 shortlist demonstrates the pertinent themes being investigated by photographers today. Whether their work was shown as a book or an exhibition, the shortlisted artists all invite us to reconsider how stories are told and who gets to tell them.” Collectively, these artists emphasise the power of photography to interrogate perception, memory and truth.
Moreover, the legacy of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize extends far beyond a single exhibition, shaping the trajectories of photographers and influencing global photographic discourse. Past recipients, from Juergen Teller to Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin, have demonstrated how innovative visual practice can transcend national boundaries, challenging audiences to reconsider contemporary culture. In this regard, the Prize operates alongside other major international awards such as the Prix Pictet, Hasselblad Award and Turner Prize, all of which contribute to a sustainable ecosystem for artists by offering recognition, financial support and wider visibility. With a top award of £30,000 and £5,000 for shortlisted artists, the Prize ensures photographers can pursue ambitious projects that might otherwise be constrained by economic limitations. These initiatives highlight the importance of cultivating infrastructure for contemporary photography, allowing socially engaged and experimental work to flourish. By recognising long-term commitment and conceptual innovation, the Deutsche Börse Prize contributes to the development of a robust artistic ecosystem that benefits both creators and audiences.
International reach reinforces the Prize’s significance, allowing works to travel from London to the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation in Eschborn, Frankfurt, where they are presented to new audiences. This circulation amplifies artists’ voices while creating opportunities for critical engagement with issues such as gender inequality, migration, memory and the fluidity of truth. Through these platforms, the artists’ work catalyses dialogue that resonates across curatorial and educational contexts, shaping discourse on photography as a medium of inquiry, documentation and activism. Consequently, the Prize functions as a vehicle for systemic change, foregrounding socially resonant narratives in the arts landscape. The visibility afforded by such prizes encourages institutional support, dialogue and cross-cultural exchange, reinforcing the relevance of photography as both a creative and political practice.
The 2026 exhibition at The Photographers’ Gallery offers a rare opportunity to experience these multifaceted practices first-hand. Visitors encounter work spanning documentary, conceptual, collaborative and multimedia approaches, while artist talks in April and May provide insights into creative processes and philosophical frameworks. By foregrounding socially engaged, experimental and multidisciplinary practices, the Gallery ensures that audiences do not passively consume images but are prompted to reflect on personal and collective responsibility. This year’s selection exemplifies the Prize’s sustained commitment to excellence, innovation and ethical enquiry, emphasising the capacity of photography to both represent and interrogate contemporary life. Through immersive installations, intimate portraits and conceptual interventions, the exhibition reaffirms the medium’s ability to illuminate the unseen, provoke thought and foster empathy across diverse audiences.
Finally, this year’s Prize affirms photography’s enduring capacity to question, reveal and transform. Through the works of Atwood, Gęsicka, Mahmoodian and Matić, we are offered narratives of justice, imagination, memory and intimacy that resonate beyond the frame. Situated within the broader context of international awards and sustainable artistic infrastructure, the Prize demonstrates the value of investment in long-term, socially conscious creative practice. As these works transition from London to Frankfurt, their impact is magnified, encouraging dialogue across disciplines, borders and generations. Photography, in this context, emerges as a vital instrument for exploring ethical, aesthetic and political terrains, reminding us that the medium is a tool for reimagining the world. These artists compel us to look closely, think deeply and consider how stories are told, remembered and re-envisioned in the 21st century.
Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2026 is at The Photographers’ Gallery, London until 7 June: thephotographersgallery.org.uk
Words: Shirley Stevenson
Image Credits:
1. Jane Evelyn Atwood Prisoner in the prison workshop, Centre Pénitentiaire Les Baumettes, Marseille, France, 1991 © Jane Evelyn Atwood.
2. Weronika Gęsicka Argusto Emfazie, from the ‘Encyclopaedia’ series, 2023-2025. Courtesy of the artist and Jednostka Gallery.
3. Rene Matić, Self Portrait with Mohawk, 2024.
4. Amak Mahmoodian, One Hundred and Twenty Minutes, 2019-2024. Courtesy of the artist.
