Finalisten 2019 / Leica Oskar Barnack Award

Snezhana von Büdingen

Sofie is 19 years old. She paints, smokes and has Down syndrome. Snezhana von Büdingen accompanied her for over a year, travelling to her home on a big farm, amid dogs, chickens and horses, and living with her and her family. This visit has resulted in a touching series – with images caught between distant reverie and intimate proximity.

Mustafa Hassona

It is a conflict that no one has known how to resolve so far: the hostile tensions between the Arab and Israeli populations of Palestine. It is the land of the Bible – and the conflict today seems barely less archaic than the endless series of skirmishes, wars and other atrocities in the Bronze and Iron Ages described in the Old Testament.

Francesco Anselmi

The border between Mexico and the USA is close to 3200 kilometres long. The issue of illegal migrants has been under discussion since election campaigns back in the nineties, and fences and walls have existed there since long before Donald Trump. The situation, however, is becoming increasingly tense: stronger asylum regulations and more security patrols. Pictures from the Mexican side circle the globe; but what about the American side? Francesco Anselmi took a look along the shady side of the wall.

Rafael Heygster

War is not only found on the battlefield; it finds its beginnings in the human mind. For some people, the fascination they have developed for armed conflict manifests in war-like games, such as Airsoft. By comparison, armament trade fairs, where it is all about politics and business, are a much more serious affair. Rafael Heygster finds a way to access hidden abysses.

Tadas Kazakevičius

While living in Great Britain, Tadas Kazakevičius saw his homeland of Lithuania with different eyes. This alternative perspective gave rise to his “Soon to be Gone” series. In this work he draws a connection between current-day migration, within Lithuania, and the Great Depression of the thirties in the United States.

Michal Solarski

“Nostalgia, experiences and memories” are what Michal Solarski wants to express through his images taken at former East Bloc sanatoriums. Solarski was born in Poland and regularly spent his childhood holidays at Lake Balaton. For his project, he visited sanatoriums in Hungary, Ukraine, Georgia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Willner – Olsson

Heaps – plain and simple. Though often overlooked, they are always present; some are only temporary, while others have filled the landscape for centuries. This basic architectural shape, reflecting mankind’s impact upon nature, is at the centre of what has now become a photographic series comprised of many variations on this theme.

Sebastian Wells

With time, many of the provisional lodgings used as temporary homes by refugees evolve into parallel public spaces, each with its own particular rhythm. For his “Utopia” project, Sebastian Wells photographed everyday life in 24 different refugee camps. He quickly came to realise that they all share certain factors in common.

Enayat Asadi

Iran is an important hosting and transit country for Afghan migrants fleeing their homeland. One of the most lethal routes runs along Iran’s eastern border, where migrants are subjected to looting, kidnapping, human trafficking and rape. Enayat Asadi has succeeded in documenting their fate.

Tomas van Houtryve

What meaning do photographs play in shaping our collective memory? The Belgian photographer Tomas van Houtryve offers an unusual answer to this question in the form of his series “Lines and Lineage”. In this work he takes current photographs and, using a process from the early days of photography, projects these images into the past.

The 2019 Finalists

Introducing the ten finalists 2019 with exclusive reports and interviews.

Snezhana von Büdingen

Mustafa Hassona

Francesco Anselmi

Rafael Heygster

Tadas Kazakevičius

Michal Solarski

Willner – Olsson

Sebastian Wells

Enayat Asadi

Tomas van Houtryve