Photographers celebrated and showcased at opening of Beni Trutmann Photo Contest exhibition

The Formentera Office of Culture is pleased to report that today winners of the 19th Beni Trutmann Photo Contest received recognition for their submissions. A total of 40 participants shared 108 photographs across the distinct categories. Twenty-four participants were responsible for 69 snapshots in the three categories of Black and White, Colour and Social Justice. Sixteen youth photographers sent in a total of 39 photos in the Junior category.

Susana Labrador, Councillor of Education and Culture, praised the broad participation in the contest and congratulated the winners on continuing to pass on the spirit of Beni Trutmann, a Swiss photographer in love with Formentera, who lived for forty-four years and left more than thirty thousand photographs that show his love for the island and its nature. Labrador promised that the objective of "committing to defending the environment" continues to be fulfilled.

Colour

First prize in the Colour category went to Adrián Pinilla Ballester for his portrait of Joan at the door of his house on Camí Vell de Cala Saona. Javi Parejo, who won the second prize, captured a characteristic sight in the local landscape: a goat under a fig tree. The third-prize photo, Jaime Franch Rojo's shot of Estany des Peix, captures the tentacles of sea anemones near Sa Boca.

Black and White

The first-prize in the Black and White category went to Jaime Franch Rojo for a snapshot taken in La Mola in 2013 entitled "Déjà Vu" and featuring the nearby lighthouse standing in the background. The second-place winner was Wolfgang Wicher for a photo that dates back to 1965. On his first trip to Formentera, the then 14-year-old photographer, captured his prize-winning shot of three women sat next to the Fonda Pepe in Sant Ferran. Lea Chave's "Dutxa en llauna", taken at Camí des Torrent, earned the third prize.

Social Justice

Iria Sánchez Rodríguez won first prize in the Social Justice category with an image that decries Formentera's housing problem. With "Graffiti d'interès cultural" (2022), Lea Chave captures a work of graffiti on the wall of Es Campament. The third prize went to Josep López Vaño for a snapshot of an abandoned car in the Tramuntana area of Formentera.

First-, second- and third-place prizes in the Colour, Black and White and Social Justice categories are €500, €300 and €200, respectively.

Junior

Eduard Marian Teofil Negru's nocturnal landscape came out on top of the category for young people aged 12 to 18. The second prize went to Ester Bordoy Riera for her photo titled "Llibertat marina", a staged image with posidonia seagrass. And the third prize was awarded to Marina Tur Escandell, for her close-up of a goat. Prizes included: a Canon Ixus 185 Z digital compact camera (first place), a Fuji Instax Mini 11 instant digital camera (second place) and a Polaroid Cube sports camera (third place).

Exhibition

The exhibition that showcases winning photographs and a selection of other submissions from this year's contest can be visited at the Ajuntament Vell exhibition space, from tomorrow 3 May until 14 May. The gallery opens from 11.00am to 2.00pm and 6.00pm to 8.00pm, and closes on Monday mornings and Sundays.

2 May 2022
Communications Office
Consell de Formentera