16th World Press Photo Montreal exhibition
begins Wednesday!

At Bonsecours Market from August 30 to October 15, 2023
Sunday to Wednesday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday to Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight

Photographer Jonathan Fontaine in Montreal to launch the exhibition

Montreal, August 28, 2023—The 16th World Press Photo Montreal exhibition, which showcases the honorees of the world’s most prestigious annual photography competition, opens its doors to the public at Bonsecours Market on Wednesday, August 30, at 10 a.m. The event runs daily until October 15, Sunday to Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to midnight, including Labour Day and Thanksgiving holidays.

Photographer Jonathan Fontaine, honoured by this year’s World Press Photo jury for his series titled The Nomad’s Final Journey, is in Montreal to launch the event. Alongside the winning photographs, Magalie Lépine-Blondeau, spokesperson for the 2023 exhibition, presents her carte blanche commission entitled Ailleurs (Elsewhere). The exhibition Lire entre les lignes (Reading Between the Lines) bears witness to the challenges and realities of literacy in Quebec. For the first time, the World Press Photo Montreal exhibition presents photographs by the finalists for the Antoine Desilets award of the Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec (FPJQ). A final accompanying exhibition, At the Heart of the Abyss, will be presented at the end of the event.

Exhibition extended to six weeks

The emblematic back-to-school event has been extended by two weeks. The World Press Photo Montreal exhibition also offers an enhanced experience, thanks to renovations carried out by the Bonsecours Market team in the updated Salle de la Commune, which has been given a more contemporary look. Of note are better accessibility for people with reduced mobility, the addition of an extra exhibition space, and the installation of a large-format backlit display, this year featuring an image by photographer Evgeniy Maloletka, crystallizing the impact of the siege of Mariupol, Ukraine.

French photographer Jonathan Fontaine, honoree of the 2023 exhibition, in Montreal

Jonathan Fontaine takes a sensitive interest in human and environmental conditions. His series entitled The Nomad’s Final Journey won an honourable mention from the World Press Photo jury. The winning image shows 16-year-old Samira observing a refugee camp in Ethiopia. The series completes a photographic project begun in 2016 on the decline of pastoral nomadism, due to droughts induced by climate change in the Horn of Africa.

“The year 2022 shows the longest drought on record in this region, lasting from 2019 to the present day,” explains Jonathan Fontaine. “These recent years show the end of nomadic life and the massive disappearance of livestock, dying of starvation. The consequences of this climate change are manifesting in a food crisis and a social transformation from nomadic to sedentary existence, in climate refugee camps.”

Elsewhere: Magalie Lépine-Blondeau on five continents

Magalie Lépine-Blondeau, spokesperson for the World Press Photo Montreal exhibition’s 16th year, invites visitors to plunge into the intimacy of moments of exchange and beauty with people she has met in some 15 countries. In images and text, her large-format exhibition entitled Ailleurs (Elsewhere) transports us to five continents.

“I’ve always admired a keen, mindful eye that takes the time to see, and to understand and capture, all that is beautiful, ephemeral, Other. My work lets me experience some of life from inside that eye, and through it. When I find myself taking photos of people who cross my path, I try to regard them with the same care and respect that I hope they might have toward me. In each of these portraits, I see a trust that’s been granted. An exchange that goes beyond words,” explains Magalie Lépine-Blondeau, spokesperson for the World Press Photo Montreal exhibition’s 16th year.

Reading Between the Lines exhibition

In Quebec, hundreds of thousands of people face literacy challenges. Presented for the first time, the Read Between the Lines exhibition features 11 winners of Go Getters’ Bursaries awarded by the Literacy Foundation and Desjardins Foundation. Visitors will discover the stories and resilience of these 11 individuals.

“Paradoxically, making fun of other people’s writing is often a sign of ignorance. The exhibition seeks to put this reality into perspective,” explains Yann Fortier, General Manager and Curator of the World Press Photo Montreal exhibition. After Claire 107 Years Old, presented as part of last year’s event, Justine Latour unveils the black-and-white portraits in this large-format series.

Finalists for the FPJQ Antoine Desilets award

Since 2005, the Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec (FPJQ) has been awarding the Antoine Desilets award in recognition of the work of press photographers in Quebec media. For the first time, the World Press Photo Montreal exhibition is presenting some twenty finalists in the Arts & Culture, Social Issues, Portrait, Sports and Daily Life categories.

“We’re very excited about this collaboration with World Press Photo Montreal, which will help promote quality photojournalism in Quebec,” says Michaël Nguyen, President of the FPJQ. In 2022, 195 entries and 37 photographers competed in the prize’s seven categories.

At the Heart of the Abyss

The event concludes with a selection of photos of underwater creatures, revealing their wondrous beauty. The astonishing aquatic fauna, particularly that of the little-known ocean floors, give the impression of exploring another planet.

Tickets: accessible prices maintained

Ticket prices remain unchanged. Available on-site during event opening hours, tickets are available at the following rates: $15 (+ tax) general entry; $12 (+ tax) for seniors and students; free for children under 10. School groups benefit from tickets at a cost per person of $8.70 (+ tax), as well as a dedicated booking schedule and doors opening at 9 a.m., Monday to Friday.

The event is open every day and evening, including Labour Day (September 4) and Thanksgiving (October 9).

The World Press Photo Montreal exhibition receives support from Radio-Canada, La Presse, and SDC Vieux-Montréal.

About World Press Photo

Founded in 1955, the World Press Photo Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization with its headquarters in Amsterdam. The foundation is committed to supporting and advancing high standards of photojournalism and documentary storytelling worldwide. Each year, the exhibition travels to more than 100 cities in 45 countries and is seen by more than 4 million visitors. The World Press Photo receives support from the Dutch Postcode Lottery and PwC. 

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Media kit

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Mélanie Mingotaud – Melanie@mingo2.ca – 514-582-5272

Zoé Verdier – Zoe@mingo2.ca – 514-617-3472