Prizes worth € 9,000

By entering the competition you were given the chance to win a first place prize worth € 3,000, a second place prize worth € 2,000 or a third place prize worth € 1,000. The only condition was that the prize money must be spent on something linked to your studies. Moreover, for their support, the first place winner’s university or college won an additional € 3,000.

Winner announcement

A photography student from Poland was selected from more than 600 students from across the EU, as the winner of the European Union's Breaking Stereotypes' Photo Competition prize. Krzysztof Gołuch, from the renowned Czech Institute of Creative Photography of the Silesian University in Opava, impressed judges with his depiction of an ageing man in a wheelchair facing a flight of stairs, a thought-provoking metaphor for the many barriers and forms of discrimination facing people in their daily lives. Nora Krauss, a German student at the Berliner Technische Kunstschule, took second prize and Maja Kurant, also a Polish student from the University of Gdansk, was chosen for the third prize. An exhibition of the best photos is now touring Europe. It was launched this week in Brussels, where the photos are displayed in an open-air exhibition in front of the European Commission's headquarters.

Jury statement

First prize: “Disabled - remains of the day” by Krzysztof Goluch

At first glance, the winning photograph evokes a feeling of deep solitude and helplessness. It is this rawness and emptiness which draws the viewer to the image. While depicting facets of discrimination such as age and disability, the stark, black and white photograph has a lasting impact on the viewer on both a visual and an emotional level. The photo generates reflection while sending a simple yet powerful message: it encourages those who look at it to speak out and stand up against discrimination.

Second prize: “Synthesis” by Nora Krauß

The runner-up was chosen by the jury for the impressive techniques applied by the photographer combined with the very open interpretative approach to the topic of the competition. The image depicts a busy, crowded staircase and conveys a feeling of stress and tension. The only stationery element in the photo is the young man in the centre who rises above the commotion and chaos surrounding him. He represents an amalgam of the diversity reflected in any given European city today, where populations are made up of different nationalities, ethnicities, beliefs and religions. The image effortlessly succeeds in portraying diversity as a norm.

Third prize: “Diverse... so what?” by Maja Kurant

The second runner-up, a collage, was selected because of its fresh, unique and positive depiction of diversity. Individuals of different backgrounds form a mosaic of cultures, adequately reflecting the heterogeneous nature of today’s societies throughout the EU Member States. Its thought-provoking idea delivers a powerful message: our differences as individuals make us a stronger whole.

Gallery

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