Catalan Joan Fontcuberta wins the Hasselblad Award, considered to be the Photography Nobel

Barcelona (ACN).- The Hasselblad Foundation has awarded its 2013 prize to the Catalan photographer Joan Fontcuberta. The jury highlighted the fact that Fontcuberta “is one of the most imaginative contemporary photographers” today. This is the most prestigious award at international level in the field of photography. It comes with 1 million Swedish crowns (around €110,000). The award ceremony took place in Barcelona on Thursday evening. In October, Gothenburg’s Art Museum will hold an exhibition on Fontcuberta’s work. His creations are “distinguished by original and playful conceptual approaches that particularly explore photographic conventions, means of representation and claims to truth”, stated the jury.

The jury for the 2013 Hasselblad Award considered “Fontcuberta to be one of the most inventive contemporary photographers, with over 30- years’ achievement of constantly investigating and questioning the photographic medium”. Furthermore, the Catalan photographer “challenges concepts of science and fiction in interdisciplinary projects that extend far beyond the gallery space”, the Swedish foundation stated. On top of this, the Hasselblad jury recognised that “in addition to his photographic practice, Joan Fontcuberta’s capacities as a writer, teacher and curator have been greatly inspirational to the younger generation”, since he is also a university teacher.

Besides, the Hasselblad Foundation is organising an exhibition of Fontcuberta’s work at the Hasselblad Center at the Gothenburg Museum of Art, in Sweden. Dragana Vujanovic and Louise Wolthers will be the curators. It will be named ‘Joan Fontcuberta – 2013 Hasselblad Award Winner’ and will open on the 25^th of October. On that day, the Hasselblad Foundation will also host a symposium with the Catalan photographer. In addition, a book on Fontcuberta’s work, published by Mack, will be launched.