The world of journalism may be in the midst of seismic change, but the power of visual storytelling still endures in an age abound with new technologies.
Some of the world's most compelling press images will be on show in Singapore later this month, as the World Press Photo exhibition kicks off on Jan 29. It will run till Feb 21.
It will feature 145 winning photos from the prestigious 2015 World Press Photo contest. The awards, which started in 1955, are regarded as the highest accolade in the field of photojournalism.
The exhibition, which will be held in Singapore for the fifth time, is being presented by The Straits Times for the second year running. It will be at the National Museum of Singapore, the official venue supporter.
The photos were shortlisted from 97,912 entries submitted by 5,692 photographers from 131 countries.
Images on display include those of general news events like the European refugee crisis and sports features.
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EXHIBITION DETAILS
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Jan 29 - Feb 21• National Museum of Singapore, The Concourse (level 1) and The Canyon (basement 1)
• 93 Stamford Road, Singapore 178897
• Open daily, 10am - 7pm
• Free admission
Guided tours
Every Saturday and Sunday, 11am and 2pm (Limited to 20 people for each session, registration on-site)
Panel discussion and talks
As part of its outreach programme, The Straits Times has also lined up the following panel discussions and talks for the public. Admission is free but pre-registration is required.
Panel discussion
• Topic: Photojournalism: New era, new forms, new ethics?
• Friday, Jan 29, 7pm
• Panellists: Sim Chi Yin, Sarker Protick, Pete Muller
• Moderated by Desmond Lim
Talks
• Saturday, Jan 30, 10am: Ground Up: Telling stories from the grassroots by Sim Chi Yin
• Saturday, Jan 30, 12pm: Men, Masculinity and Violence. A case study in eastern Congo by Pete Muller
• Saturday, Jan 30, 2pm: Approach & Engagement by Sarker Protick
To register and for more details, go to www.straitstimes.com/tags/st-world-press-photo
The year-long roving exhibition, sponsored by Canon, has toured over 100 cities in more than 45 countries. Last year, the Singapore leg of the show drew 25,000 visitors. Local sponsors of the Singapore staging of the winners' images include The South Beach, Famous Air & Sea Services, Photogenie, Weber Shandwick and caterer Purple Sage.
"The exhibition gives visitors the possibility to easily reflect on the world... (and) will leave no one unmoved," said Mr Laurens Korteweg, exhibitions project manager for World Press Photo.
Mr Patrick Daniel, editor-in-chief of the English, Malay and Tamil Media group of ST's parent company Singapore Press Holdings, said: "I hope the public in Singapore will appreciate the impact these dedicated professionals make to the stories we tell daily in the press."
There will also be an ST exhibition in conjunction with the World Press Photo show. Carefully curated by ST's photo desk, it features at least 12 of last year's best photojournalistic work, chronicling historic events like founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's funeral to intimate vignettes of daily life here.
Photography buffs can look forward to interactive events. On Jan 29, American photographer and researcher Pete Muller, Bangladeshi documentary photographer Sarker Protick and Beijing-based Singaporean photographer Sim Chi Yin will discuss the ethics of photography.
They will also each be conducting talks on Jan 30. Mr Protick will be focusing on different aspects of storytelling, while Ms Sim will be sharing her experiences of documenting Chinese society at the grassroots level. Mr Muller will discuss men, masculinity and violence in eastern Congo.
Straits Times photojournalists Desmond Lim, Alphonsus Chern, Kevin Lim and Neo Xiaobin will also be giving talks on Feb 6 and Feb 14.
