The winners of the Polaroid x Magnum open call and first-ever partnership, have been announced. Picked from over 2,000 global submissions, the 10 competition winners’ final work will be exhibited at Paris Photo Fair from 7-10 November.
Photographers, whether digital, film or instant, were invited to submit a portfolio of work with a story of empathy, for the chance to win a Polaroid I-2 camera (notably the first high-end instant camera with built-in manual controls), Polaroid film, and mentorship from Magnum photographers including Newsha Tavakolian, Jim Goldberg and Enri Canaj.
Marine Merindol, COO of Magnum Photos said, ‘We are thrilled with the response to the Magnum and Polaroid Open Call and the creative ingenuity shown in the winners’ final works. For many participants, it was their first time shooting with Polaroid film, and it was inspiring to see how this medium shaped their art, adding authenticity and immediacy to their storytelling’.
The winning photographers’ work, titled ‘Real Life is Not Black and White’ celebrates the creative possibilities of black and white film and the Polaroid I-2. It is an exploration of the human experience and covers a broad range of themes from migration and gender roles to expressing one’s own identity to reflecting on the poignant reality of living with a disease, or far away from family.
Not attending the Paris Photo Fair? You can also view the exhibition on the Polaroid website.
See some of the winners below:
Mengwen Cao
Mengwen Cao is a Chinese-born, New York-based queer photographer whose work has been featured in publications like Vogue, i-D and The New York Times)
As Mengwen Cao prepares to leave New York temporarily for the next chapter of their life, they wanted to create a ritual that honors the people and places that have shaped them. “IDareU2Feel Radio” is a series of collaborative portraits embroidered with affirmations from their friends, creating a heartfelt farewell that carries both grief and love; a testament to the connections they’ve built.
Mengwen Cao says goodbye to New York and their friends through a series of collaborative portraits embroidered with affirmations for the future.
See more of Mengwen’s work on Instagram.
Jaír Fernando Coll
Jaír Fernando Coll is a Colombian photojournalist, whose work has been published in El País, a top-ranking Spanish-language media outlet.
Jaír Fernando Coll follows the journey of Samara Velásquez who lives with Zika-related microcephaly in Cali, Colombia. He’s been documenting Samara’s story for seven years. For the latest chapter of his project Jaír produced black and white Polaroid photographs, in which the family intervened with drawings and scratchings to illustrate how they strive to bring color to Samara’s life.
See more of Jaír’s work on Instagram.
D.M. Terblanche
D. M. Terblanche is a South African documentary and portrait photographer.
Drawing on their own experience, D. M. Terblanche explores the internal world of living with late-diagnosed autism. Set in the context of a new country, away from the familiarity of the global south, Terblanche worked with self-portraiture, reflecting on having once written “autism is a loneliness for which I now have a name, after years of living in mistranslation”
Drawing on their experience, D. M. Terblanche explores the internal world of living with late-diagnosed autism.
See more of D.M.’s work on Instagram.
Mohamed Hassan
Mohamed Hassan is a UK-based photographer from Egypt.
‘Witnessing Wales’ is a long-term study of community and nationhood, created through a series of journeys across the country. Mohamed Hassan’s work contains both landscapes and portraits and is an allegorical tale for finding a sense of belonging within the story of Wales today.
Mohamed Hassan documents his travels through Wales and shares an allegorical tale about finding a sense of belonging within the story of the of Wales today.
See more of Mohamed’s work on Instagram.
Jed Bacason
Jed Bacason is a self-taught Filipino photographer based in Dubai, UAE.
He embraces the materiality of Polaroid photography in his “Love Mum” project inspired by his own childhood experiences with his father’s letters from abroad. Now an overseas worker himself, Bacason asked five Filipino mothers in Dubai to write heartfelt letters to their children. He captured their emotions in black-and-white Polaroid portraits, planning to send these letters and photos to their children as a tangible reminder of their mothers’ love across the distance.
See more of Jed’s work on Instagram.
Aleruchi Kinika
Aleruchi Kinika is a visual artist based in Nigeria.
Aleruchi Kinika’s project explores the complexities of womanhood, showing women in their element as mothers, friends and beings. A series of melancholic portraits where clothing, movement and background are intentional to express the kindness and joy, worry and pain of womanhood.
Aleruchi Kinika’s project explores the complexities of womanhood, showing women in their element as mothers, friends and beings.
See more of Aleruci’s work on Instagram.
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- Polaroid x Magnum Photos Announce Global Open Call
- Polaroid Go Generation 2 review: the little instant camera that could
- Polaroid upgrades chemistry of its black and white instant film
- LEGO Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera review
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