‘Often overlooked or misunderstood’: photographer who highlights migrant experiences wins inaugural Annie Leibovitz prize
The French photographer Zélie Hallosserie, who documents the stories of migrants, has won the inaugural Saltzman-Leibovitz photography prize. The award was established by the high profile photographers Annie Leibovitz and Lisa Saltzman who set up the prize through the philanthropic organisation, the Saltzman Family Foundation.
Hallosserie, who is completing her studies in photography at ESA Saint-Luc Tournai art school in Belgium, receives $10,000. “Her ongoing project, The Game, captures the personal journeys and stories of migrants in Calais, an often perilous final junction before reaching the United Kingdom,” says a statement.
Hallosserie tells The Art Newspaper: “This prize matters a lot to me as it gives visibility to a cause that is often overlooked or misunderstood, especially in today’s political context. It’s important for me to represent what’s happening in the north of France, beyond the often pitying or stereotypical images we usually see.” She aims to publish the full project shortly which will include written testimonies and other images of people she met in France.
The other shortlisted photographers were selected from participants in Leibovitz’s mentorship programme, which is part of her role as the first IKEA Artist in Residence announced in 2023. As part of the programme, five young photographers were mentored by Leibovitz and IKEA, undertaking the same brief as Leibovitz: to interpret insights from the annual IKEA Life at Home Report through the lens of a camera.
The other photographers shortlisted were Elena Kalinichenko (Ukraine), Ka’Vozia Glynn (United States), Praise Hassan (Nigeria), Toma Hurduc (Romania), and Trâm Nguyễn Quang (Netherlands). Judges included Drew Sawyer, photography curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and Raul Martinez, creative director at Vogue.
Works by the nominated photographers will be exhibited at the Photo London fair (15-18 May).
