If a picture can say a thousand words, it is clear that the exhibition of the Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest (Stenin Contest) is showcasing powerful photography which offers a deep and evocative visual narrative of global and local issues.
The exhibition will, for the first time, be displayed at the Good Hope Gallery in the historic Castle of Good Hope, and will be open to the public from 12-16 March.
Hosted by Independent Media and African News Agency (ANA) in close collaboration with Sputnik News Agency and Radio, the Stenin Contest Exhibition is recognised as one of the world’s top 10 photojournalism showcases, bringing a fresh and exciting collection of powerful visual storytelling.
International Partner Relations Manager for the Stenin Contest, Daria Nagovitcina, explained that the contest was established in 2014, and was created in memory of the talented Russian photojournalist Andrei Stenin.
“The contest aims to support young photographers from all over the world. It is held under the patronage of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO. The contest is the only platform in Russia that discovers new names in photojournalism, maintains high professional standards and defines the criteria for quality documentary photography,” Nagovitcina said.
“Each year, an international exhibition tour showcases the winning works. The 2024 competition received over 2,000 entries from around the world.”
Nagovitcina explained that the shortlist includes works from Russia, Bangladesh, China, India, Italy, Myanmar, South Africa, Spain and Syria, highlighting the growing global influence of the competition.
“South Africa is the record holder for the number of exhibitions held outside Russia. 4 were held in Cape Town from 2016 to 2019, 2 in Johannesburg from 2018 to 2020, and 4 in Pretoria from 2020 to 2024.
“Since 2016, the Independent Media Group and the ANA news agency have been the permanent media partners of the competition. Cape Town is one of the main hosts of the roadshow and this is the fifth time the roadshow has come here,” Nagovitcina said.
“By exhibiting the winning entries worldwide, the Andrei Stenin Contest promotes cross-cultural dialogue and amplifies the voices of a new generation of photographers committed to bringing important stories to light.
“The roadshow helps to raise awareness of important social, political and humanitarian issues reflected in the works of the participants. These exhibitions give audiences around the world the opportunity to witness major global events through the lens of talented young photographers.
“Many of the images tell deeply personal and moving stories, such as Looking into Human Eyes by Russian photographer Anna Plyusnina, which portrays children with autism spectrum disorder, or Never-ending Tragedy by Syrian photographer Karam Al-Masri, which documents the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in Syria,” Nagovitcina said.
The 10th season of the competition's roadshow kicked off in Moscow and has already travelled to China, Tanzania, Serbia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Arab Emirates and Mauritius.
South Africa is the seventh stop on the tour of the 2024 winners - a significant milestone as the country holds the record for the most exhibitions hosted outside Russia.
After Cape Town, the exhibition will travel to Asia and Latin America.
Nagovitcina said that this exhibition has been made possible by the unwavering support of the Independent Media Group, ANA News Agency and Dr Iqbal Survé personally.
At the opening of the exhibit in Cape Town, Independent Media and Sekunjalo Group Chairman, Dr Iqbal Survé expressed his excitement for partnering for the fifth time with Sputnik.
“A picture tells a thousand words. We live in complex times in the world today. The world needs peace now more than ever. There’s always different sides to a story, but the one thing that always brings us together in a way is photographs.
“We can see, through photographs, the beauty of this world as well as the horror of this world. I think sometimes we forget that at the end of all the conflict in the world today, human beings are suffering,” Survé said.
He further paid recognition to the photographers from Independent Media.
“I don’t say thank you to them often enough. They are the window to the world for our readers,” he said.
Survé also tipped his hat to photographers present at the launch who had previously won the prestigious Andrei Stenin competition.
“Sometimes we forget to acknowledge them. They go into difficult areas in difficult times. And they bring into our homes really what is taking place in our society. This exhibition is not just in honour of those whose work appears here, but the exhibition is in honour of our own photographers as well,” Survé said.
He thanked the photographers for their immense contribution to the organisation.
Russian Consul-General Aleksei Malenko, who was also in attendance at the launch, said that the exhibition evokes a great interest among South Africans, especially Capetonians.
“The Stenin Contest plays an important role in promoting cultural collaboration, as well as offers young people an opportunity to present their view of the world and demonstrate their talent.
“The Stenin Contest highlights the power of visual storytelling, strengthens cultural democracy, opens new horizons for sharing creative experiences and ideas, promotes a better understanding of history, and deepens international cooperation in the humanitarian field,” Malenko said.
“Art, photography, literature and film industry provide powerful means of communication that transcend geopolitical differences and bring people closer. There is no doubt that events like this Stenin Contest serve as a reminder that cultural collaboration is just as essential as economic and political one.
“It is through the exchange of ideas, creativity and perspectives that we build a more connected and harmonious world. At the opening of the Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest exhibition tonight, we express our gratitude to all who contributed to organising this event.”
Calvyn Gilfellan, CEO of the Castle Control Board said that hosting the photographic competition winners in South Africa's oldest colonial building is not only an honour but an integral part of the work to decolonise the programmes, exhibitions, and collections of the former bastion of armed colonial conquest, slavery and apartheid.
“The Castle of Good Hope witnessed over 350 years of change and turbulence: the current trajectory towards a multi-polar world order, perhaps one of the most significant ones in the last millennium. We want to embrace and harness this change towards a better Africa and a better world for all of humanity.”
Oksana Oleinik, the curator of the Stenin Contest, stated: "The Andrei Stenin Contest has been collaborating with Independent Media for a long time and very fruitfully. We are very happy to once again present winning works in Cape Town. Almost every year, the shortlist of the contest features fantastic works by photographers from Africa. The year 2024 is no exception. I really hope to see more vibrant and talented photojournalists from South Africa participating in the contest next year.”
Photographers who want to enter the contest in future should be between the ages of 18 and 33. The photo contest has five categories: Top News, Sports, My Planet, Portrait. Hero of our time and Top View.
Each year the contest opens on 22 December, Andrei Stenin's birthday. Submissions are accepted until 28 February. For more information, visit the competition website at https://stenincontest.com/.