First World Press Photo Exhibition comes to Kurdistan Region

The World Press Photo competition awards the work of professionals who use their creativity and talent to represent an event or topic that has marked the journalistic news of the year.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – For the first time ever, the World Press Photo Exhibition will be held in the Kurdistan Region, opening on June 30 at Erbil’s famous citadel.

The Dutch consulate in Erbil and Metrography in coordination with the Commission for Erbil Citadel Revitalization (HCECR) organized the display.  

The official opening will take place on June 30 at 6 p.m. local time at Erbil’s citadel. The exhibition will continue until July 20.

The “Special Exhibition: Best of Three Years” will present a selection from the World Press Photo contests of 2017, 2018, and 2019.

The World Press Photo is a Dutch initiative based in Amsterdam. Since 1955, it has been held in several countries all over the world.

Each year, for over 60 years, the World Press Photo Foundation has organized a prestigious professional photography contest, which rewards the best images by photographers from around the globe.

“Now, it’s for the first time in Erbil,” Dutch Consul-General Willem Cosijn told Kurdistan 24. “We are financially supporting it because we want to promote awareness on pollution, migration, terrorism, and freedom of press.”

“These are also global issues that also affect the Kurdistan Region,” Cosijn added.

“These beautiful, big pictures make you think and incite discussion.”

The Dutch Consul-General also underlined that photographers need to be able to work freely. “This is also a reason we emphasize the freedom of press,” he said.

The World Press Photo Exhibition opened in Baghdad, Iraq, on June 2, 2019. (Photo: UNAMI PIO/Samir Ghattas)
The World Press Photo Exhibition opened in Baghdad, Iraq, on June 2, 2019. (Photo: UNAMI PIO/Samir Ghattas)

The World Press Photo competition awards the work of professionals who use their creativity and talent to represent an event or topic that has marked the journalistic news of the year.

As part of a three-city tour across the country in 2019, the photos were previously displayed in Baghdad earlier in June. The event is now coming to the Kurdistan Region capital of Erbil and province of Sulaimani.

The exact date for the Sulaimani exhibition has not yet been confirmed, but is scheduled to take place within the next month.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany