LOBA 2024: Glimpses into the exhibition of the winners and shortlisted series, which are once again on display this year at the Ernst Leitz Museum

The finalist series from the 44th edition of the Leica Oskar Barnack Award will be on display in Wetzlar until February 9, 2025.

Once again this year, it is a rich visual experience: on colourful walls, in different formats and in series-related configurations and installations, the twelve LOBA series in the exhibition also reveal exciting correspondences between each other. In addition, the Critical Minerals film by Davide Monteleone, which complements his LOBA winning series, is being shown. LOBA Newcomer Maria Guțu’s work will also be presented, along with the shortlisted series by photographers Forough Alaei, Anush Babajanyan, Emily Garthwaite, Ksenia Ivanova, Lucas Lenci, Adriana Loureiro Fernández, Sara Meneses Cuapio, Tong Niu, Ingmar Björn Nolting and Etinosa Yvonne.

Whether poetic black and white series or abstract motifs, whether emotional social documentary or committed reportage photography, the exhibition reveals the diverse forms, varying concepts and visual languages of contemporary photography. The ongoing climate change, the consequences of environmental disasters and the associated complex ecological and social ramifications for those impacted, are at the core of several series. Flight and emigration, whether due to violent conflicts or economic hardship, are themes that are also dealt with. Furthermore, the content of LOBA 2024 ranges from the ongoing fight for women's rights and against inhumane working conditions, to highly symbolic motifs and the sensory impact of the omnipresent media overload. LOBA 2024: an exciting spectrum full of surprises, inspiring stories and critical documentaries, which invite and encourage us to take a closer look and which, despite all the challenges, may also convey a measure of hope.