£30K Deutsche Borse Photography Foundation Prize 2018 Winner Announced

'autoportrait', a filmic portrait of Diamond Reynolds. © Luke Willis Thompson

New Zealand artist Luke Willis Thompson has won the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2018 at London’s Photographers’ Gallery for 'autoportrait'.

Thompson's 35mm film 'autoportrait' is a portrayal of Diamond Reynolds who, back in July 2016, used Facebook Live to broadcast the moments immediately after the fatal shooting of her partner Philando Castile by a police officer during a traffic-stop in Minnesota, United States. Reynolds’ video circulated widely online and amassed over six million views. In November 2016, Thompson contacted Reynolds to invite her to collaborate on a project which would act as a ‘sister-image’ to her video broadcast, and break with her more publically consumed image. 

Silent apart from the whirr of a 35mm projector, the installation presented at The Photographers’ Gallery comprises barely more than a single shot of Diamond in private mediation. 

The winner was selected by the members of the 2018 Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize jury, who included: Duncan Forbes, Curator and visiting Lecturer Westminster University, Gordon MacDonald, Curator and Editor; Penelope Umbrico, Artist; Anne-Marie Beckmann, Director, Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation and Brett Rogers, Director, The Photographers’ Gallery as the non-voting chair.

Last year, Dutch photographer Dana Lixenberg was announced as the Deutsche Borse Photography Foundation Prize winner.