Algerian photographer Mohammed Bourouissa wins prestigious competition

The “Free Trade” exhibition was initially set up in… a Monoprix supermarket in the South of France! On the occasion of the photography festival “Les Rencontres d’Arles”, Mohammed Bourouissa installed photos and videos to create a space reflecting the daily lives of his compatriots who are marginalized or in financial difficulty.

Recognition, at last

As a result of this work, he has just won the Deutsche Börse Grand Prize for Photography, which comes with a cheque for $38,000, and recognition for his hard and qualitative work over many years.

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Humeurdujour#braceletelectronique2009

A post shared by Mohamed Bourouissa (@mohamedbourouissa) on May 13, 2019 at 2:55am PDT

Because “Free Trade” was not created in a day. In fact, the installation brings together works from different series, such as “Périphérique”, which dates from 2005-2008, and highlights the lives of young unemployed people in the suburbs of Paris, captured via a smartphone, surveillance images and augmented reality; or the “Temps Morts” series, created in 2009 with two co-detainees.

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Congratulations to @mohamedbourouissa, who has won the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2020! 👏👏👏 Particularly focussed on the representation of disenfranchised people and marginalised communities, the Paris-based photographer @mohamedbourouissa was selected by the judging panel for his spectacular installation Free Trade. First exhibited in a Monoprix supermarket in Arles as part of Rencontres d'Arles, France, this exhibition brought together an extensive survey of projects produced in the last 15 years. Image: Mohamed Bourouissa, NOUS SOMMES HALLES, 2002-2003 in collaboration with Anoushkashoot © Mohamed Bourouissa, Kamel Mennour, Paris & London and Blum & Poe, Los Angeles @thephotographersgallery #Mohamedbourouissa #artcollectiondeutschboerse #deutschboersephotographyfoundation #dbpfp2020

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A talented competition

Recently, the installation could be seen at The Photographers’ Gallery in London, along with the four other projects shortlisted by the Deutsche Börse Foundation for Photography. The Franco-Algerian photographer won over the Belgian Anton Kusters and his superb “Yakuza” series, as well as the British Mark Neville and Clare Strand.