Prix Pictet photography prize for environmental sustainability

ADP staff
ADP magazine 1(5): This is the new shit! | 01 November 2009

If you’ve been following the stories at Art Design Publicity, you know by now that we complain a lot about Art in the Age of Mass Media. However, that’s for two main reasons: the resulting Third World economics of our current art world; and the propaganda-like system and dynamics—from artist-and-team through publication— that have resulted. Our position on art /design itself is however maybe unexpected: as you can’t beat the publicity system, you might as well join it—and play it—for very good and highly ethical causes.

So here we celebrate publicity and mass media flows to raise more awareness of environmental sustainability via the Prix Pictet. Two weeks ago, Kofi Annan, Nobel Laureate and former Secretary General of the United Nations, awarded this year’s prize of CHF100,000 (£60,000) to one of the shortlisted artists below. Annan said that the photographs were a compelling call for action to tackle climate change, the most serious humanitarian and environmental challenge facing the world today. This was said as decisive negotiations on climate change will take place in Copenhagen in December— and clearly there is a publicity agenda, which we entirely support.

So click below to see selected photos from the shortlisted artists—and find out who the Prix Pictet winner is. We also offer our favorite at ADP with the following remit: best single photo to visually communicate to the world’s people that we need to act faster to protect our planet. Which single photo do you think is best to do this?

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