World Press Photo exhibit back in Barcelona capturing 'the stories that matter'

With the promise of illustrating "the stories that matter", the annual 'World Press Photo' exhibition returns to Barcelona's Center of Contemporary Culture from Saturday.

More than 150 photographs – shedding light on the human side of news events, such as the Syrian civil war, the Yemeni crisis and the death of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi – selected by a prestigious Dutch panel will go on display for the next month.

The 'World Press Photo', which originated from a competition of the same name, will appear for the fifth time in the form of an exhibition, crossing 100 cities in 45 countries over the course of the year and expected to attract in excess of four million global visitors.

"Real and un-manipulated"

Barcelona is one of the first cities to host the latest edition, having sold 50,000 tickets in 2018, with organizers claiming that the Catalan audience has a particularly "critical mind" that is eager to have access to "real information that has not been manipulated".

The images are arranged along the eight judging categories, including the World Press Photo of the Year, 'Crying Girl on the Border' by American photographer John Moore, part of a decade-long portfolio of the migrant crisis on the US border with Mexico.

Another category sharpens the focus on photos depicting contemporary issues, ranging from the Republic of Ireland's struggle to overturn anti-abortion laws and arranged marriage in Cuba to heroin addiction and rape trauma among men in the United States.

Tickets for the exhibition, taking place in the Raval district of Barcelona's old town, are available for between 4€ and 6€, with guided tours in Spanish on Thursdays.