The World Press Photo Foundation is proud to reveal the six selected talents from South America in the second edition of the 6x6 Global Talent Program.
The World Press Photo Foundation’s 6x6 Global Talent Program spotlights six under-recognized visual storytellers, focusing on one of six continents every three months, in a rolling process of nomination and selection. To develop a more diverse visual representation of the world the initiative aims to connect visual storytellers, who may not yet be well known outside of their own region, to a global audience.
Nominations for visual storytellers from the global region of South America were made by our growing community of over 90 global nominators. The six talented visual storytellers from South America, selected from over 60 nominees, are:
With Lars Boering, Managing Director of the World Press Photo Foundation, as chair, the online selection committee comprised of:
On nominating Fabiola Ferrero, Laura Beltrán Villamizar, Colombia, said:
"Fabiola’s work goes beyond the realm of classic visual journalism and touches the visceral, the profound and the utterly engaging. Her perseverance and strong body of work make her one to watch."
On nominating Felipe Fittipaldi, Dan Immel, USA, said:
"So much is captured of the urban hardships of Brazil but Felipe’s work in the rural environments, which in no way turns a blind eye to the unique hardships that exist there, make him one of the first photographers that come to mind when I think of those whose vision still needs to be seen more by the rest of the viewing and watching world."
On nominating Luján Agusti, Daniella Zalcman, USA, said:
"Luján's work is unexpected, visually stunning, and always incorporates sharp, pointed references to the historical contexts of the issues she's investigating with her work. The combination makes for thought-provoking images that blur the lines of documentary and fine art, reality and memory, past and present."
On nominating Oscar B Castillo, Ruth Eichhorn, Germany, said:
"Oscar’s view is radical, unadorned and mind opening. He puts a lot of energy and his whole heart into understanding the reality of his subjects and so getting as close as possible to the truth. The pain Venezuela is going through is given a human face with his images."
On nominating Pablo Ernesto Piovano, Tina Ahrens, Germany, said:
"Pablo Piovano is an Argentinian photojournalist deeply driven to expose environmental stories and our problematic relationship to the natural world. With meticulous research and unwavering commitment to the story Pablo has created a thorough and disturbing body of work [in The Human Cost of Agrotoxins] that needs to be seen."
On nominating Tamara Merino, Danielle Villasana, USA, said:
"Tamara Merino’s approach to documentary photography is sensitive and poetic. Tamara’s genuine respect for others and her passion for understanding the world through photography result in an intriguing, awe-inspiring body of work that teaches us about the lives of others."
The work of the six talents will be published and shared on the World Press Photo Foundation’s platforms in the coming weeks, including an individual feature on Witness for each of the talents.
6x6 Global Talent Program: Europe
The next edition of the 6x6 Global Talent Program, Europe, will open for nominations on 29 March 2018.
World Press Photo is actively seeking suggestions or applications for nominators. To apply to be a global nominator, and for all questions about the program, please contact Thera Vermeij, 6x6 Global Talent Program Project Manager, at 6x6@worldpressphoto.org
Photo credit: Header image, from left to right, top to bottom: Pablo Ernesto Piovano (© Romina Morua), Oscar B Castillo (© Juan Jose Horta), Fabiola Ferrero (© Alejandro Cremades), Tamara Merino (© Colin Steel), Luján Agusti (© Tomas Ayuso), and Felipe Fittipaldi (© Felipe Fittipaldi).
