Brett Rogers OBE, Director, The Photographers’ Gallery and Chair of Jury, said:
“Huge congratulations to Mohamed Bourouissa. His phenomenal exhibition – first shown at Arles in 2019, resonated deeply with critics and public alike and presented a potent examination of the mechanics of power and their effect on disenfranchised communities.
I also want to congratulate all this year’s nominees. It would be impossible not to consider this year’s award announcement through the lens of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the many deep-rooted social, economic, racial and political injustices it has exposed and amplified.
As we begin the urgent reassessment of our current systems and values, it feels especially fitting to pay tribute to the many artists, who do so much to challenge both our assumptions about the world and the actions we take to address them. This feels especially true of this year’s shortlist, whose projects – individually and collectively – are truly of their time. A previous nominee, Robert Adams observed of his alumni in 2004, “Not competitors. Rather, trying to be citizens of one world”. This feels as true today as it did then. We are immensely grateful for their remarkable talent, openness, generosity and knowledge.”