Shortlist 2023 / Leica Oskar Barnack Award

Shortlist Overview

The shortlisted candidates for the internationally renowned Leica Oskar Barnack Awards (LOBA), which will be presented for the 43rd time this year, have been determined.

Rania Matar: Fifty Years Later

Lebanon is still suffering the consequences of the civil war that began 50 years ago. Following brutal clashes, corrupt governments and month-long lockdowns during the corona pandemic, explosions in the port of Beirut pushed the country even further into crisis. The Lebanese-born, American photographer dedicated her series to the women of Lebanon. The portraits stand as representative of the hopes, fears and perseverance of a whole generation.

Jordi Ruiz Cirera: On This Side There Are Dreams, Too

Drugs, corruption and violence: the border region between Mexico and the USA is most commonly defined by negative headlines. The Spanish photographer is interested in the people behind the headlines, revealing their daily lives and questioning their hopes and dreams. His documentary and empathic series is made up of fascinating yet quiet images.

Edu León: Unearth the Memory

For over half a century, people in Colombia have repeatedly been the victims of armed conflicts and massacres. The Spanish photographer has been dealing closely with the affected women and the traumas they suffer.

Johanna-Maria Fritz: A Grave in the Garden

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the German photojournalist has been travelling to the most dangerous areas of the country, capturing the events and consequences of the conflict, which is as senseless as it is sad. Her impressive reportage offers direct insight into the daily lives of a people fighting to survive.

Seamus Murphy: Kingdom

The Irish photographer has lived in England for over 35 years. Like many, he is both irritated and fascinated by the peculiarities attributed to the British. After the 2016 referendum and the decision to withdraw from the European Union, he took his camera in hand and decided to document the changes he sees in the country.

Natela Grigalashvili: The Final Days of Georgian Nomads

Since 2013, the Georgian photographer has been travelling regularly to the Adjara region, where she has been capturing and preserving the life of the nomadic people living there. Her intense long-term project speaks about ancient values, traditions and communities which, in the face of globalisation, are increasingly threatened with extinction.

Gustavo Minas: Liquid Cities

The impressive pictures taken by the Brazilian street photographer speak of isolation, alienation and untenability. Incorporated reflections, barely locatable light sources, and irritating perspectives turn his images into fascinating, visual metaphors for life in “Liquid Cities”.

Laetitia Vançon: Tributes to Odesa

What does living in a state of war look like? The French photographer travelled to Odesa in June, 2022, to capture daily life for the Ukrainian population there. Her series offers a testimony to humanity, hope and courage, during devastating times; and speaks of how life continues, despite adverse circumstances.

Eric Bouvet: Elevations

Mountains, glaciers and, unexpectedly, a nail: with pictures created using a large-format camera and a process based on a historical technique from the 19th century, the photographer sees his series as a homage to the early days of photography. Compared, however, to historical photographs of French alpine landscapes, this series is not only about the sublime beauty of the mountains; it is also about changes taking place there in the present.

Jonas Kakó – The Dying River

As a result of human intervention and climate change, the Colorado River continues to dry out daily. At the beginning of the 20th century it still rushed, unhindered through the Southwest of the USA; since then, irrigation projects, agriculture, diversions, and the construction of dams and reservoirs have led to water levels dropping to critical levels. Photographer Jonas Kakó set out to explore and capture pictures of the tamed river.

Shortlist 2023

The shortlisted candidates for the internationally-renowned Leica Oskar Barnack Award photo competition, that will be granted this year for the 43th time, are set.

Shortlist Overview

Rania Matar: Fifty Years Later

Jordi Ruiz Cirera: On This Side There Are Dreams, Too

Edu León: Unearth the Memory

Johanna-Maria Fritz: A Grave in the Garden

Seamus Murphy: Kingdom

Natela Grigalashvili: The Final Days of Georgian Nomads

Gustavo Minas: Liquid Cities

Laetitia Vançon: Tributes to Odesa

Eric Bouvet: Elevations

Jonas Kakó – The Dying River