World Press Photo Exhibition shows in Kuching, Sarawak for the first time

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The exhibition showcased the winners of the annual World Press Photo Contest.

In 1955, a group of Dutch photographers organised an international contest to showcase their works to the world. They called it ‘World Press Photo’ and now it has become one of the most esteemed photography competitions in the world.

Fast forward to today, the exhibition has toured more than 100 cities in 45 countries, including Kuching.

For the first time ever, the exhibition is being held in Kuching in conjunction with What About Kuching (WAK) 2018, showcasing the winners of the annual World Press Photo Contest of which 4,548 photographers from 125 countries sent in a total 73,044 entries.

True to its name, the winning photos gave fair and compelling insights about what happening in and around the world.

Apart from the winning photos, the exhibition also showed stories from six Southeast Asia and Oceania Talents of the World Press Photo Foundation.

Installed on the ground of Padang Merdeka, the exhibition is open for the public from Sept 29 to Oct 27.

World Press Photo Exhibition: Giving glimpses to the outside world

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A series of nature-themed photos on display.

The series of photos displayed were featured various themes such as environment, nature, people, sports and world issues.

Some of the photos were explicit and powerful, showcasing serious human rights issues such as sex workers in Russia.

For those who are avid fans of National Geographic, some of the photographers might be familiar such as Ami Vitale who is widely known for her work capturing photos of wild pandas and rhinos.

This exhibition also allowed visitors who follow prominent photographers like Vitale on social media the opportunity to appreciate their images in sizes larger than cellphones’ screens.

In addition to that, there were also well-known photos which have been circulated on international news.

The most famous one displayed was the image of 28-year-old student Victor Salazar whose clothes caught on fire after a motorcycle exploded during a street protest in Venezuela against its president Nicolas Maduro.

The exhibition also managed to open up any visitors’ eyes to world issues such as the stateless case of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and the deforestation in Brazilian Amazon.

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A man vapes thoughtfully as he studies a panel of photos in a set which also features an image of Victor Salazar caught on fire during street protests in (right).
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A series of photos featuring two sisters living in a bioenergy village in Austria.
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Some of the works by Italian photographer Fausto Podavini.
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A man viewing the images by National Geographic photographer Ami Vitale.
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The exhibition is also part of an effort to reactivate spaces in Kuching such as Padang Merdeka.
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World Press Photo exhibition has toured to more than 100 cities in 45 countries and now is in Kuching.

About WAK World Press Photo exhibition

What About Kuching (WAK) city festival together with Sarawak Museum Department co-organised the exhibition sponsored by the Netherlands Embassy and Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak. The Limkokwing Institute of Creative Technology Kuching supported the event through its design and installation.

Patricia Hului is a Kayan who wants to live in a world where you can eat whatever you want and not gain weight.

She grew up in Bintulu, Sarawak and graduated from the University Malaysia Sabah with a degree in Marine Science.

She is currently obsessed with silent vlogs during this Covid-19 pandemic.

Due to her obsession, she started her Youtube channel of slient vlogs.

Follow her on Instagram at @patriciahului, Facebook at Patricia Hului at Kajomag.com or Twitter at @patriciahului.

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