Press release from 21.09.2022: Winner of the Bratislava Grant 2022 – Tomáš Hrivňák

The 11 th SLOVAK PRESS PHOTO was dominated by the conflict in Ukraine

Bratislava, September 21, 2022 – Nine categories, 142 photographers from five countries and 1,463 photographs. The official announcement of the results of the 11th SLOVAK PRESS PHOTO, together with the opening of the exhibition of the winning works, will take place today in the evening at the Primate´s Palace.

142 photographers registered for the competition and submitted a total of 1,463 images, including 158 series and 87 individual photographs. The exhibition of the winning works will be open to the general public free of charge from September 21, 2022 to October 31, 2022 in a public space on Hviezdoslav Square in Bratislava.

Winning photographs link: https://sutaz.slovak-press-photo.sk/EN/contest-nominees-2022

The jury has decided to award the main Grand Prix prize for a series of photographs entitled Situation at the Vyšné Nemecké Border Crossing the Day After the Start of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine to the photographer of the SME daily newspaper, Mark Erd. Commenting on the winning photograph, jury chairman Kadir van Lohuizen said: „ The overall winner of the competition presents that this year´s events in Ukraine are to some extent a reality that has affected us all. The situation is not easy even in the Netherlands, where thousands of refugees from Ukraine are arriving and have nowhere to sleep” Kadir van Lohuizen describes the situation related to Ukraine, and Jana Garvoldtová adds: „The Grand Prix photographs capture not only the social and political consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but also the human story behind this tragedy. Western countries have always been willing to help. They have been more open in dealing with migration. The situation in Ukraine has also made Eastern Europe open to help, and we feel a shift in our perception of said help”.

A special prize, the Bratislava 2022 Grant, was awarded to a series of photographs, The Harbour Bridge, by Tomáš Hrivňák working for the N daily newspaper. The theme of this year´s Bratislava Grant is „Bratislava – A City with Better Public Space”. The winner receives €2 000 for a year-long project aimed at photographing changes in Bratislava.

Tomáš Hrivňák – Winner of the Bratislava Grant 2022

Photo: Desana Dudášová 

The Young Talent of the Year 2022 is Hugo Kollár with his series of photographs Danzamea 2022. The author is a third-year student of photographic design at the Private Secondary Art School of Animation in Bratislava. He photographed the course and preparations of the international summer dance school Danzamea 2022 and the final performance.

From August 28 to August 30, 2022, an international jury of 5 judges evaluated the competition photographs and decided on the winning photographs of the current edition of the journalistic photography competition. This year´s jury consisted of Kadir van Lohuizen (jury chairman, member of NOOR Agency, Netherlands), Yuri Kozyrev – (photographer, NOOR, Russia), Alexander Chekmenev – (photographer, Ukraine), Jindřich Štreit (photographer and teacher, Czech Republic) and Jana Hojstričová (photographer and teacher, Slovakia), who is also the project´s guarantor.