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Add Texture to GoogleThe prestigious Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize is set to reach a historic milestone. For its 30th edition in 2027—marking three decades since the prize was first awarded in 1997—the London-based institution The Photographers’ Gallery and the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation have announced the names of the four artists in the running. Hoda Afshar, Lotus L. Kang, Sasha Kurmaz, and Salvatore Vitale are competing for the £30,000 prize (approximately €35,500), while each of the three other finalists will receive £5,000 (approximately €5,900).
This year’s jury, chaired by Shoair Mavlian and comprising figures such as Damarice Amao (Centre Pompidou) and artist Laia Abril, selected projects that push the boundaries of the medium. Whether they are evolving photosensitive sculptures, voluminous war diaries, or investigations into the invisibility of click workers, the 2027 selection showcases a form of photography that is no longer content to merely capture reality, but rather questions it through materiality and installation.
Hoda Afshar: The Colonial Archive Held Up to a Mirror
Iranian-born artist Hoda Afshar, based in Melbourne, made a lasting impression with her solo exhibition *Performing the Invisible*. Presented at the Musée du Quai Branly–Jacques Chirac in Paris between September 2025 and January 2026 (although some reports may have suggested a later opening in December), this exhibition centers on a major installation titled *The Fold*.
In it, Afshar revisits French colonial photographic archives, specifically the portraits of veiled women taken in Morocco between 1918 and 1919 by psychiatrist Gaëtan Gatian de Clérambault. Through an installation combining prints, mirrors, drawings, videos, and soundscapes, the artist deconstructs the medical and colonial gaze. This work engages in a dialogue with her series *Speak the Wind*, creating a tension between what is shown, what is hidden, and the memory of the bodies thus captured by the historical lens.
Lotus L. Kang: Photography as a Living Organism
In Venice, during the 61st Biennale in 2026, Lotus L. Kang’s installation at the Bulgari Pavilion redefined the concept of the photographic print. Titled *The Face of Desire Is Loss*, the work takes the form of an immersive environment where long strips of unfixed photosensitive film—dubbed “skins”—are suspended from metal structures. These film “skins” are not static: they react in real time to the light in the room and the ambient humidity, changing color and texture throughout the exhibition.
The artist, who was born in Toronto and is based in New York, combines these reactive surfaces with sculptures and symbolic objects, such as forty-nine vials called “spirit bottles.” In Kang’s work, photography becomes an organic sculpture, a tangible testament to impermanence and the passage of time, far removed from traditional technical reproduction.
Sasha Kurmaz: The Weight of Daily Life in Times of War
Sasha Kurmaz’s project stands out for its physical and emotional intensity. The Kyiv-based artist produced *Red Horse*, a colossal volume of approximately 800 pages published by Éditions Images Vevey in November 2025. This book, with graphic design by Nicolas Polli, serves as a comprehensive visual chronicle of life in Ukraine since the Russian invasion of February 2022.
Moving beyond conventional press images, Kurmaz assembles documentary photographs, hand-made collages, personal notes, and ephemeral materials gathered from public spaces. This monumental collection functions as a raw and intimate archive, documenting how violence has transformed daily life, language, and the urban landscape over a three-year period.
Salvatore Vitale: Sabotaging the Algorithm
Salvatore Vitale, an Italian-born artist based in Switzerland, presents SABOTAGE, a multimedia investigation into the most opaque workings of our digital economy. The exhibition, hosted by Photo Elysée in Lausanne in 2026, explores the “gig economy” and micro-task platforms, particularly through research conducted in South Africa.
Incorporating his series *Death by GPS*, Vitale uses photography and video to bring into view the workers in the shadows who fuel artificial intelligence and automated surveillance. His work goes beyond mere observation; it also documents forms of algorithmic resistance and acts of sabotage by these new digital proletarians. Regarding biographical details, there remains persistent uncertainty about his year of birth; some institutional sources cite 1984, while the general consensus is around 1986.
A European Calendar for Contemporary Art
The announcement of these finalists marks the start of a series of exhibitions that will allow the public to discover these major works. The four projects will be brought together at The Photographers’ Gallery in London from March 10 to June 6, 2027. The exhibition will then travel to the headquarters of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation in Eschborn, near Frankfurt, where it will be on view from June 19 to September 26, 2027.
The name of the winner will be announced at an official ceremony on Thursday, April 29, 2027. This award, which has become a global benchmark since its partnership with Deutsche Börse began in 2005, continues to honor living artists whose publications or exhibitions in Europe have made a significant contribution to the language of photography over the past year. The diversity of approaches in this year’s selection—ranging from archival books to sculptural installations—highlights the vitality of a discipline that continues to push the boundaries of its own framework.
