The
ICONIC exhibition, curated especially for the European Parliament, focuses on press freedom, showcasing a selection of previous winners of the World Press Photo of the Year award and marks the opening of the
Info Hub, a new visitor facility at the European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium.
In ICONIC, a selection of photos are presented that capture some of the most defining moments in history. The images offer the opportunity to reflect on the importance of access to information and safety for journalists in any democracy. The exhibition also points out other complex issues, which pose challenges to our society, regardless of the actual time or place in which the images were captured: resistance against discrimination, the resilience of protesters, modern-day migration, the human cost of conflict, and hope for a better society. The exhibition is open from 13 July 2022 until 13 January 2023.
All images shown in the exhibition have been awarded World Press Photo of the Year between 1955 and 2022. In the exhibition, in addition to the winning images, major world events that happened in the years the winning photographs were taken are also outlined to provide context and to invite the viewer to reflect on the past, present, and future.
Press freedom, a foundation of democratic societies, enabled these visual stories to be published. Yet, in many parts of the world, this right is oppressed or under threat and cannot be taken for granted. Supporting the conditions for press freedom is a fundamental part of the World Press Photo Foundation and the European Parliament's work.
Photo: A demonstrator confronts a line of People's Liberation Army tanks on Chang'an Avenue, Beijing, China, during protests for democratic reform on Tiananmen Square. By Charlie Cole, Newsweek (1989).
