HIPA Photographic Exhibition Opens at the Royal Geographical Society, London

An exhibition of the winning and shortlisted images from the second season of the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) will open at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), London on Tuesday September 24, 2013.

This free exhibition is part of a global tour and features the best photographs from HIPA’s 2012-13 Beauty of Light season, the winners of which were announced at the award’s grand event on the March 18, 2013. It is the first time the awards have visited the UK.

HIPA / Beauty of Light season - Grand Prize, Osama Al Zubaidi, UAE / Courtesy of HIPA

A highlight of the run will be a special lecture delivered by the acclaimed photojournalist and humanitarian and recipient of HIPA’s 2012-13 Photography Appreciation Award, Reza Deghati. The lecture, titled "Photography for humanity", will take place on Wednesday September 25, 2013 at 7pm.

Running until September 27, 2013, the HIPA exhibition will include spectacular landscapes, intimate portraits and stunning black and white images by photographers from around the world. It will also showcase the work by five British photographers.

Established in 2011 by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, HIPA is open to photographers of all abilities and boasts the largest Grand Prize award in the world of photography of $120,000 (USD) and the largest overall prize fund of $389,000 (USD).

The Secretary General of HIPA, His Excellency Ali bin Thalith explained that "It is with the utmost honour that we bring HIPA to London for the exhibition and lecture at the Royal Geographical Society. HIPA is a key example of the Emirate of Dubai’s commitment to the encouragement and support of art, culture and innovation which, in recent years, has turned Dubai and the UAE into a hub for creativity. It is our continued obligation to share this duty of encouragement with photographers from all around the world and we will continue to do so by taking HIPA to the world stage."

HIPA is set to be the richest photography award in the world with a grand prize of $120,000 (USD) and an overall prize pool of $389,000 (USD). On a local level, the award hopes to develop and increase awareness of the art of photography among the young Emirati population.

The award recently rounded off participation at the India International Photo Video Trade Fair in Ahmedabad, India from 20 - 22 September 2013. With over 35,000 visitors to the event, HIPA has now completed two legs of its international road show which also included last month’s PhotoImage Brasil in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo.

HIPA exhibition

• Venue: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), London

• Date: 24-27 September 2013

• Time: 10am-5.30pm

• Free entrance

HIPA lecture with Reza Deghati

• Venue: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), London

• Date: 25 September 2013

• Time: 7 – 8.30pm

• Free entrance