São Paulo – Photos that captured the conflict in Syria can now be seen in Salvador in the World Press Photo exhibition, which runs until January 29 in the capital of Bahia state. The exhibition, being hosted for the first time by the Brazilian state, is an assembly of the most significant photos produced by international journalism, with a total of 164 images.
The photos of the Arab country were taken in the city of Douma by the Syrian photographers Sameer Al-Doumy and Abd Doumany, both from Agence France Presse. According to freelance photographer Rafael Ferraz, Doumany, the exhibition’s organizer, is also a volunteer paramedic with the Red Cross.
The exhibition in Bahia includes four photos by Al-Doumy and four by Doumany. “People have been reading about the conflict since it began, and when they attend the exhibition, their interest grows, they want to learn more, since they get restricted coverage by the newspapers. In the exhibition, they know they will have access to more images and to the context regarding the issue,” says Ferraz.
The World Press Photo is an independent non-profit organization. Every year, it holds a photo contest, which in 2016 had 5,775 photographers of 128 different nationalities competing with 82,951 photographs. The contest is considered an Oscar of documentary and journalistic photography.
The best photos were selected by a jury in Amsterdam, with awards being handed out to 41 photographers from 21 different countries distributed in eight categories. The contest’s categories are: Contemporary Issues, Daily Life, General News, Long-Term Projects, Nature, People, Sports and Spot News. According to Ferraz, Al-Doumy was first place in the Spot News category and Doumany was second place in the General News category.
A Brazilian photographer, Mauricio Lima, also won an award for his pictures of an Islamic State fighter getting medical treatment in Syria and of children playing in Tapajós River, in the state of Pará, Brazil.
Quick info
World Press Photo Exhibition
Where: Caixa Cultural Salvador
Rua Carlos Gomes, 57, Centro – Salvador – BA
Until January 29, 2017, Tuesday to Sunday, from 9 am to 6 pm.
Free of charge
Phone: (71) 3421-4200
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
