Pierre-Alexis Dumas, President of the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès, has just announced the foundation’s support for the Prix Henri Carter-Bresson. This 35000€ prize was created in 2003 by Henri Cartier-Bresson’s late wife, Martine Franck, and his daughter, Mélanie.

Succeeding Martine Franck as president of the Fondation HCB, Kristen van Riel is glad to see that this partnership, initiated by Franck, has been made official. Pierre-Alexis Dumas notes the affinities between Hermès and photography, beginning with his father, who was an avid photographer, and whose work has been published by Steidl and exhibited at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie. “The Gallery Hermès” in the New York store, whose top floor is reserved for photography exhibitions, like the TH13 in Berne. They also possess a vast photographic archive. Regularly enriched with works that are shawn in the windows of some three hundred stores on five continents “We are very involved in photography exhibitions,” says Dumas, “but not in the creation of photography, which is one of the missions of the foundation, and the reason we are supporting the Prix Henri Cartier-Bresson.”

This contribution of 150,000€ will not only contribute to the financial part of the prize , but also the exhibition and publication that come with the prize. The Prix HCB is open to photographers of all nationalities, “having already completed a significant work of photography with a documentary sensibility.” There is no age limit. Candidates must be sponsored by an institution (museums, photography agencies, art schools, universities, galleries, publishers, festivals) to present their application. Applications from individuals will not be considered.

An exhibition of the photographer’s work, accompanied by a catalog produced for the occasion will be produced within 18 months of the announcement. The winner will be required not to exhibit or publish any part of the work without the agreement of the Fondation HCB. The exhibition will then be offered to the photographer.

The prize money (35,000€) cannot be divided. “The winner must spend the award money to produce a project that would ordinarily be beyond his or her means.”

The international jury, composed of seven important figures from the art world will meet in Paris on June 10 and 11, 2013. The name of the winner will be announced on June 25, 2013. The jury’s decision is final.

Schedule 


- Februray 1st, 2013 : Call for Applications 

- March 1st - April 15th, 2013 : Submission of applications at the Foundation HCB. 

- June 10-11, 2013 : Selection of the winner by the jury. 

- June 25th, 2013 : HCB Award winner. 

- Beginning July 2013 : announcement of the winner at the Rencontres d'Arles HCB. 

- July 2013 : return of unsuccessful applications.

Previous winners were:
Chris KILLIP, 1989
Josef KOUDELKA, 1991
Larry TOWELL 2003 for "The walls of no man’s land: Palestine"
Fazal SHEIKH, 2005 for "Ladli"
Jim GOLDBERG, 2007 for "Open See"
David GOLBLATT, 2009 for "TJ"
Vanessa WINSHIP, 2011 for "Là-bas : une Odyssée américaine" qui constituera la prochaine exposition de la Fondation HCB.

Bernard Perrine

Fondation HCB
2 Impasse Lebouis
75014 Paris
France
T. 01 56 80 27 00