Hoda Afshar, Lotus L. Kang, Sasha Kurmaz, and Salvatore Vitale have been nominated for the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2027, marking the 30th anniversary of the first prize-giving.
The Bottom Line
- Four contemporary artists have been shortlisted for the 2027 prize, focusing on exhibitions and publications examining bodies, war, labour, and power.
- The nominated projects span photography, film, sound, sculpture, archival materials, and handmade collage.
- The shortlisted works will be exhibited at The Photographers’ Gallery in London from March 10 to June 6, 2027, before moving to the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation in Eschborn/Frankfurt.
The 2027 Shortlist and Thirty Years of the Prize
Established in 1996, the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize recognizes artists who have made a significant contribution to photography. For its 30th anniversary edition, the 2027 shortlist brings together four distinct bodies of work reflecting contemporary social and political landscapes.
The Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2024 exhibition is on display now.The shortlisted artists: VALIE EXPORT, Gauri Gill & Rajesh Vangad, Lebohang Kganye and Hrair Sarkissian show the power of photography to explore, investigate & interrogate our world.https://t.co/gPHwXbe2bp pic.twitter.com/7fs2mZ5BWk
Hoda Afshar is nominated for her exhibition Performing the Invisible at the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris. The project features The Fold, a sustained investigation into colonial photographic archives—specifically those of French psychiatrist Gaëtan Gatian de Clérambault—and how they shape modern perceptions of veiled Islamic bodies. Afshar uses mirrors to reverse the traditional direction of the photographic gaze.
Lotus L. Kang earns a spot on the shortlist for The face of desire is loss, an installation presented at the Bulgari Pavilion during the 61st Venice Biennale. The exhibition incorporates unfixed photographic films hanging from steel joists that react continuously to ambient light and humidity, accompanied by tatami mats, cast birds, kelp forms, and moving images of tidal mudflats.
Documenting War and Digital Labor
Sasha Kurmaz is recognized for Red Horse, an 800-page visual diary published by Éditions Images Vevey in November 2025. Begun following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the book combines documentary photography, handwritten notes, drawings, and newspaper clippings to record life under prolonged states of emergency.
Salvatore Vitale rounds out the shortlist with SABOTAGE, an exhibition at Photo Elysée in Lausanne. Developed in collaboration with South African freelancers, Vitale’s project examines automation, surveillance, and the hidden human labor that sustains the digital economy.
| Artist | Nominated Work | Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Hoda Afshar | Performing the Invisible / The Fold | Photography, drawing, mirrors, video, sound |
| Lotus L. Kang | The face of desire is loss | Installation, unfixed film, sculpture, moving image |
| Sasha Kurmaz | Red Horse | Publication, visual diary, documentary photography |
| Salvatore Vitale | SABOTAGE | Exhibition, multimedia research |
Exhibition Dates and Award Logistics
The works of all four shortlisted artists will be on display together at The Photographers’ Gallery in London from March 10 to June 6, 2027. Following the London run, the exhibition will travel to the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation in Eschborn/Frankfurt, where it will be shown from June 19 to September 26, 2027.
The winner of the £30,000 prize will be announced in April 2027, while each of the remaining shortlisted artists will receive £5,000.
