Winners and jury members reflect on the power of photography through the zenith photo award Libya Uncharted
Libyans are more connected than they are separated. The over one hundred photographers from all across Libya who participated in our photo award Libya Uncharted have proved this to be so through their important and insightful submissions.
The current political situation in Libya means that it is almost impossible for Libyans themselves to come together in a single physical space to reflect on the richness of their shared culture and creativity. This renders accessible digital spaces that attempt to document all aspects of Libyan life - from Tripoli to Tobruk - through an artistic lens all the more important.
The photo award, organised by Candid Foundation and supported by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, comprised six rounds focusing on different topics throughout 2019. In December 2019, Berlin played host to a selection of the winners of the first zenith photo award in Arabic. During their visit, these talents photographers presented their pictures as part of a special pop-up gallery in the German capital's artistic heart.
There they told the stories behind their photographs - how they were conceived and captured in often challenging circumstances. Visitors to the exhibition were left with a better understanding of the power of the lens to shape civil society in times of conflict.
