Launch of the third cycle of the Prix Pictet

The Prix Pictet, conceived and run by Pictet, is the first photography award to provide a global platform for the application of art to the critical issues of global sustainability. Its honorary president is HE Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The main award of CHF100,000 (EUR72,000) is decided by an independent jury of leading figures in the visual arts and sustainability. One of the shortlisted photographers is also commissioned by the partners of Pictet & Cie to undertake a field trip to a region where Pictet is supporting a sustainability project.

In the two years since the prize was established, it has become the world's leading award for photography and sustainability, reaching an estimated global audience of over 400 million through the media, book publishing and travelling exhibitions.

Sir David King, who chairs the Jury for the third cycle, said, “The Prix Pictet is no longer arriving; it has arrived. Today, there is hardly an artist on the planet who feels too grand to enter. Selecting a winner will be a demanding privilege, but also a great pleasure.”

The theme of the third Prix Pictet is "Growth", in particular the paradox that arises when progress leads to improvements in living standards and health, yet also to unsustainable population growth, aggressive industrialisation and excessive exploitation of arable resources.