Opening of World Press Photo 16 in Zurich

04.05.2016

from left to right Jann Jenatsch, Naeem Pasha, Kathy Gannon, Lars Boering, Warren Richardson (Photo by Photopress | Eduard Meltzer) > all images of the opening

The opening of the World Press Photo 16 exhibition on Wednesday evening, May 4th, 2016, at the Folium in Zurich was a great feast !

Jann Jenatsch, CEO of KEYSTONE, opened the evening using a quote's imitation by Herbert Marcuse: «If photography cannot change the world, it can help change the consciousness and drives of women and men who would change the world.» Lars Boering, managing director of World Press Photo addressed the audience in talking an almost perfect German.

The keynote speaker was Kathy Gannon, a journalist for the Associated Press AP in Afghanistan and Pakistan. «Photojournalism is story telling through pictures and as I contemplated what to say here tonight __ a writer talking about pictures __ I thought long and hard about our profession because writer and photographer, we are really just different sides of the same coin.» She pointed at the journalist's crisis of identity in a world of enduring conflicts. «I understood that this is why we do the job we do, not to make people care, not to change the world but to help them see the world and perhaps understand it a little better so they can decide whether to care or not, whether to try to change it or not.» Her keynote was recognized by a frenetic applause of a numerous audience.  

Kathy Gannon was attacked while reporting from the elections in Afghanistan in 2014 together with AP photographer Anja Niedringhaus, to whom she was very close. Kathy was badly wounded but survived.

After Kathy's keynote Warren Richardson, World Press Photographer of the Year, and Swiss Christian Bobst, winner of the 2nd prize sports, series, were interviewed and congratulated.

Video by Detlev Munz | KEYSTONE

The World Press Photo 16 exhibition is shown worldwide in 100 cities and 45 countries, reaching a global audience of 4 million people each year.