Prix Pictet 07: Space

by Pictet Group, teNeus, £45, hardback, 132 pages, ISBN 978-3832769079

THE purpose of the Prix Pictet photography competition has always been clear: to use photography as a powerful tool to highlight issues of sustainability. Each year, the competition has devoted itself to a specific theme and this year, the seventh in its history, photographers were asked to submit images that tackled the issue of ‘space’. This is a particularly hot topic, considering the growing numbers of our species and the limited resources we have to sustain us. Within this collection of images we find ourselves confronted by a world that is becoming increasingly claustrophobic. Ultimately, it’s a poignant exploration of the fact that while many of us will be comfortable, there’s always a greater number who will have to lose out. It also speaks of the power of photography and how it seems that sometimes words are not enough. There are some issues that really need strong visual images to confront us and make us question exactly what we are doing to the world around us. ★★★★★