World Press Photo Singapore exhibition back in January

SINGAPORE - The successful World Press Photo (WPP) exhibition in Singapore which drew some 20,000 visitors earlier this year, will be back in January.

The free exhibition, which brings together 151 award-winning photographs that captured the most powerful, moving and sometimes disturbing images of the year from around the world, will be held at the Raffles Hotel from Jan 10 to Feb 1, 2015.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Communications and Information will officiate at the opening of the exhibition on Jan 9.

The winning shots were selected from 98,671 entries submitted to the contest by 5,754 photographers from 132 different nationalities. The shortlisted photos are presented in a year-long exhibition which tours more than 100 cities in over 45 countries.

From 2015, The Straits Times is the presenter of the World Press Photo Singapore exhibition for three years. Canon is the global sponsor. Other local sponsors include Raffles Hotel and Rabobank, KHL Printing, and KLM/Air France.

The annual exhibition, started in 1955 and billed as the "Oscars" of photojournalism, has come to Singapore just twice - in 2002 and 2006 before returning last year.

Mr Patrick Daniel, Editor-in-Chief of the English and Malay Newspapers Division of Singapore Press Holdings, which publishes The Straits Times, said: "This exhibition is a tribute to the photojournalists who work tirelessly and bravely to make us all more aware of what's happening around the world - at times risking their lives to bring us compelling photos. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to present this exhibition of award-winning news photos from around the world."

Mr Edwin Teoh, Assistant Director, Consumer Business Marketing, Canon Singapore, sponsor of WPP Singapore, said: "Canon's longstanding support of this prestigious photojournalism contest stems from our philosophy of kyosei - a guiding principle that focuses on living and working together for the common good. Photojournalists hold the powerful ability to narrate impactful stories through spellbinding images that transcend geographical and cultural barriers, deepening our understanding of the wider community. In this particular partnership, we acknowledge the tenacity of photojournalists and we hope to share their world and elevate the appreciation of visual journalism with the public."

Mr Simon Hirst, General Manager, Raffles Singapore, venue sponsor of the Singapore exhibition, said: "Following our successful partnership early this year with World Press Photo, Raffles Singapore is honoured to be the venue host for this prestigious exhibition for a second time. These photographs take the audience behind the lens of these top international photographers, showcasing the captured moments of their experiences, bringing to them a sense of emotional connection through the powerful imagery. This resonates very much with Raffles' unique style of delivering emotional luxury to guests through personal experiences and memories."

Rabobank is another WPP Singapore sponsor for the second year. Its CEO Marcel van Doremaele, who is also a member of the local Board of Advisors of World Press Photo, said: "I dearly appreciate the spirit of World Press Photo. It breathes openness. The sources of the photo collection are passionate photographers. The photos reflect the lives of people and situations in the world, rich and poor, ugly and beautiful, rare and popular. It provides viewers a wider perspective of the world which will enrich each individual.