Russian woman included in World Press Photo 2024 jury, Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers protests

The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP) demands to exclude Russian representative Maria Gelman from the jury of the World Press Photo 2024 competition, the association says in a statement. The association is insistent on altering the composition of the jury board, as it will also be evaluating photographers from Ukraine. In addition to Maria Gelman, the European team of judges includes:

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  • Anastasia Taylor-Lind - Chairman of this year's jury, photo editor, the UK/Sweden;
  • Andreas Trampe  - Senior Photo Editor at Stern, Germany;
  • Gilles Steinmann - director and photographer of the Neue Zurcher Zeitung newspaper, Switzerland;
  • Mariama Attah - the curator, the UK.

"UAPP considers Helman's participation to be illogical and may affect the objectivity of decision-making when evaluating the participants' works.

In addition, Russia's unprovoked, aggressive, cruel and unjust war against Ukraine has been going on for the 10 years in a row, and we believe that the participation of the representative of the Russian Federation, Maria Gelman, raises a lot of ethical issues," the association noted.  Maria Gelman is a Russian queer photographer, visual storyteller and producer. She was a member of the international VII Photo Agency.

In her works, she often explores themes of identity, trauma and vulnerability, as well as "seeks to challenge stereotypes and prejudices." She also focuses on the lives and ideologies of alternative communities and various social groups that face discrimination. Gelman has received many awards, including the Istanbul Photo Awards, Pictures of the Year, and Leica Oskar Barnack Award. Numerous publications, including TIME, The Washington Post, Le Monde, Die Zeit, and The New York Times, have featured her work.

On World Press Photo Contest

Last year, the winner of the competition was Ukrainian photographer Yevhen Maloletka.

He was distinguished for a series of pictures titled The Siege of Mariupol. The photographer recorded the consequences of the Russian airstrike on the Mariupol maternity hospital on 9 March 2022, mass graves, strikes of Russian shells and their victims. World Press Photo is a free and open event for all professional photographers working in the field of photojournalism or documentary photography.

Winners are determined annually, first at the regional and then at the global level. The names of 24 regional winners will be announced on 3 April. Next among them will be chosen 4 laureates in global nominations: World Press Photo of the Year; World Press Photo Story of the Year; World Press Photo Long-Term Project Award, and World Press Photo Open Format Award.

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