2014 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition - Awards’ winners plus Mary Ellen Mark, William Klein and Panos Pictures

Images by the very best established and emerging contemporary photographers from across the world go on show this May as part of the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition. This year the exhibition has been expanded, being hosted in both the East and West Wings of Somerset House in London, making it one of the largest of its kind in the UK.

A press preview of the show will take place at 12.00pm BST on Wednesday 30 April, ahead of its public opening on 1 May. If you wish to attend the press preview, please email Kristine Bjørge at kristine@worldphoto.org by 20 April 2014.

The exhibition has been curated by Michael Benson of Candlestar and is printed by Metro Imaging.

Sony World Photography Awards winning and shortlisted photographs

Selected from over 139,000 entries from 166 countries, the highest in the awards’ seven-year history, the winning and shortlisted photographers’ works of the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards reflect the very best international contemporary photography from the last year.

Within the exhibition, well-documented scenes are given a fresh look with ground-breaking photography styles, spanning a diverse range of topics that capture and evoke a range of emotions.

Work includes a powerful portrait on domestic abuse by American photographer Sara Naomi Lewkowicz, alongside work of Italian photographer Salvatore Esposito’s exposure of the secret Napolese Camorra crime syndicate, and Guy Martin’s unusual vision of protesting at the recent Istanbul riots.

Humour also shines through in the exhibition, with the work of French photographer Sophie Gamand. Her series of portraits of dogs caught during their least favourite activity - bath time -offers light relief.

British photographers in the exhibition include the dramatic post-race portraits of jockeys by Spencer Murphy, stunning still life photography by Bristol-based photographer Amanda Harman and a captivating series looking at the very British institution of pantomime dames by Mary Turner.

The winners of the 2014 awards will be announced in London on Wednesday 30 April, on the eve of the exhibition opening.

Mary Ellen Mark – Outstanding Contribution to Photography

Known worldwide for her documentary photography and striking portraiture, Mary Ellen Mark is recognised as one of the world’s most influential photographers.

Her work has become the benchmark for excellence in the field of documentary photography and on 30 April she will receive the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards’ Outstanding Contribution to Photography award.

To celebrate this award, a special curation of some of Mark’s most iconic work from across her forty-year career, plus her most recent prints, will be shown. This includes work from her “Indian Circus” and “Streetwise” series plus images from her film set work.

The prints will be accompanied by films produced by Mark and her film-maker husband, Martin Bell.

Sony’s Global Imaging Ambassadors programme – William Klein and Panos Pictures

Produced in collaboration with the World Photography Organisation, the Global Imaging Ambassadors programme is a new initiative from Sony uniting some of the best photographers around the world.

Legendary photographer William Klein, along with a select group of Panos Pictures photographers, are amongst the first "Master" photographers to join Sony’s ambassadors programme and their special commissions are shown as part of this exhibition.

Debuting in the UK, the exhibition will showcase William Klein's newest body of work "Brooklyn". The work is a landmark departure for Klein as, for the first time, he has produced a series entirely in digital format. It sees Klein return to his native roots to document the city of Brooklyn, sixty years after his seminal body of work "Life is Good and Good for You in New York". Capturing the boardwalk of Coney Island to courthouses and the gritty streets of the city, the resulting images are classic Klein. A new book, Brooklyn + William KLEIN will also debut alongside this exhibition.

A group show presented by international photo agency Panos Pictures, in partnership with Sony, features images from ongoing projects by five Panos photographers located around the world. From the new Passinho dance style sweeping the favelas of Rio, Brazil to the daily and extraordinary life along the banks of Bramhaputra River in Assam, India, the work reveals the very best of working photography professionals today.

The exhibition will also include special displays of the winning, shortlisted and highly commended books of the KKF Book Awards for the Best Photography and Moving Image Books of the Year, and the winning and finalist images of a UK-wide student photography competition run in conjunction with Hotel Indigo.

Public events 1 – 4 May 2014

During the opening weekend of the exhibition, several special photography events will take place at Somerset House. Events include talks, special presentations, 'how to' photography workshops, book signings and more. Featuring appearances by world class photographers including William Klein, Zackary Canepari and Mary Ellen Mark, as well as the introduction of Sony's new Global Imaging Ambassadors programme, this four-day weekend has something special for everyone. For detailed event information please see: http://worldphoto.org/events

Press preview: Wednesday 30 April 12.00-13.00pm BST

If you wish to attend the press preview, please email Kristine Bjørge at kristine@worldphoto.org by 20 April 2014.

Images from the exhibition are available to download at press.worldphoto.org

If you require press membership please register at press.worldphoto.org/register

For more details or press tickets to the exhibition please contact:

Kristine Bjørge, PR Manager, World Photography Organisation

+44 (0) 20 7886 3049/ + 44 (0) 7557 261 537 / kristine@worldphoto.org

Listings:

2014 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition

Press preview: Wednesday 30 April at 12.00pm

Exhibition dates: 1 – 18 May 2014

Venue: East and West Wing, Somerset House, Strand, London,WC2R 1LA

Tickets: £7.50 / £5 concessions

Times: Saturday - Monday 10.00 to 18.00, Tuesday – Friday 10.00 to 21.00

Book tickets at www.worldphoto.org/2014exhibition