The winners of the 16th Swiss Photo Award

Nominated were 21 photographers from all over Switzerland. The first prize in the architecture category went to Zurich-based photographer Stefan Jaeggi. It shows small but crucial parts of buildings, annexes, balconies, transitions and parapets in the La Défense neighborhood in Paris. The work very cleverly draws attention to how our perception of the city is shaped by such architectural details, the jury noted.

The Basel photographer Andri Pole convinced the evaluation committee in the Editorial category with his images from the Cern research center in Geneva. His images, published in book form, do not show the complex scientific world of particle research, but the people behind it, going about their daily work in their secluded world.

Stacks of used cardboard tied together, ready for disposal the next day, have Jan Hofer from Zurich won the prize in the Fine Art category. With the One-Night-Sculpture, Hofer succeeded in placing the everyday in an art context through the act of photography, the jury acknowledged.

First place in the reportage category went to Scott Typaldos with his black-and-white story about mentally handicapped people in a home in the Albanian part of former Yugoslavia. The photographer from Lausanne conveys an atmosphere in his pictures that gets under the skin. According to the jury, "it's almost as if we can smell and see what is being fed." Typaldos explains everything in a few pictures and fulfills all the requirements of his reportage photography.

The dilemma photography

The viewers are plunged into a dilemma by the two Zurich photographers Joakim Cortis & Adrian Sondereggerthe winners of the Free category. What is real in their pictures, what is posed? In this way, they address the fundamental question of photography as a depiction of reality, without wanting to appear didactic.

In the Fashion category Yann Gross from Chexbres VD took the victory. In the advertising category, the first prize went to Thomas Stöckli from Zurich. In an idiosyncratic way, he staged a venue in Europaallee at Zurich's main train station that combines store and studio under one roof by means of an ingenious suspension system.

This year, the international jury of experts evaluated 713 works with 5346 images by 570 photographers. 54 works with 21 nominees made it onto the shortlist for the category awards. The works will be on display until June 1 at the Selnau substation of the Electricity Works of the City of Zurich (EWZ) and at the Photobastei on Bärengasse in Zurich. (SDA)

Ewzselection.ch

Opening: Thursday, May 15, from 5:00 p.m.
Exhibition: May 16 - June 1
Opening hours: Thu/Fri 4pm to 8pm, Sat / Sun 12pm to 8pm
EWZ substation Selnau, Selnaustrasse 25, 8001 Zurich

The Swiss Photo Award - EWZ Selection

The Swiss Photo Award is one of the most prestigious and, with a total prize money of CHF 35'000, most highly endowed photography prizes in Switzerland. It showcases the full range of Swiss photography in advertising, fashion, architecture, editorial, reportage and art. For 16 years, it has annually selected the best works based on their high level of craftsmanship and artistry.

Teaser image: Thomas Stöckli, winner category advertising