10 Corso Como New York x World Press Photo
by Valerie Stepanova
As the rain flooded the streets of Lower Manhattan, the World Press Photo (WPP) 2019 Exhibition opened its doors in the gallery of 10 Corso Como, a New York concept shop with Italian heritage. While the crowd was busy admiring the best works of today’s photojournalism, socializing and sipping on champaign, the WPP Exhibitions Account Manager Babette Warendorf welcomed everybody into the space: “Good evening, everyone! It’s such a pleasure to be in New York.”
Akashinga - the Brave Ones by Brent Stirton, South Africa; Getty Images
The exhibit showcases the true crème de la crème of visual journalism and storytelling, displaying single shots and digital stories that grip viewers by their hearts. The overall winning image, Crying Girl on the Border (showing an Honduran toddler, Yanela Sanchez, as she and her mother are taken into custody by U.S. border officials in McAllen, Texas, on June 12, 2018) by an American photographer John Moore, invites visitors into the gallery and kicks off the show. The winner himself was also present at the opening event, recounting the story behind Crying Girl and debating the struggles and accolades of present-day photojournalism.
Crying Girl on the Border by John Moore, United States; Getty Images
This year, nearly 80,000 photos from almost 5,000 photographers across 129 countries were submitted and carefully judged by an independent jury for the 62nd annual World Press Photo contest. Out of 42 winners, 10 US photographers were awarded — reaping the fruits of the long, well-respected tradition of photojournalism in America.
For the very first WPP contest in 1955, 42 photographers from 11 countries submitted just over 300 photos for review. Despite such tremendous growth in scale, the competition managed to carry on its core objective through the years: connect the world to stories that matter.
“The numbers have changed a little bit, since 1955, but our mission hasn’t: to celebrate the best of photojournalism and to share these stories with the global audience,” Warendorf declared.
Living Among What’s Left Behind by Mário Cruz, Portugal
The last WPP exhibition in New York was held four years ago, at the United Nations headquarters. The WPP Foundation hopes to make this show a perennial occurrence in the City. “We really hope that this is only the start of a long tradition and a long relationship between World Press Photo and 10 Corso Como,” Warendorf said.
The exhibition is on view July 12 through August 25, in the historic Fulton Market Building on 1 Fulton Street in New York.
Sunlight Serve by David Gray, Australia; Reuters