In an era of misinformation and manipulated or outright fabricated images, human-made photojournalism has taken on a new level of importance and power, and there’s no better place to appreciate it than the World Press Photo Exhibition 2025, which is coming to Brisbane Powerhouse starting on July 19 and until August 17 as part of its world tour.
The exhibition features the winning photographs from the 70th annual World Press Photo Contest, chosen by an independent jury of 31 professionals from all over the world, with Lucy Conticello Director of Photography at M — Le Monde‘s magazine — at the head of it. showcasing the most important and impactful photojournalism and documentary photography of the past year.
The jurors evaluated a whopping 59,320 photographs submitted by 3,778 photographers across 141 countries, narrowing it down to seven impactful images from each region — Africa, Asia-Pacific and Oceania, Europe, North and Central America, and South America.
Some of the selected photos reflect major global events — from scenes of war to political and environmental crises, these images provide a frame to our shared reality — but equally compelling and maybe even more poignant are the ones that represent smaller-scale, personal stories, and they all offer a powerful visual record of our times. As Conticello put it, “We were looking for pictures that people can start conversations around.”
Part of the power of these images is the thought and decision behind them. These are all moments deemed worthy of being captured and witnessed by the photographers themselves and, through their art and expert eye, by the rest of us too.
Thanks to its partnership with Brisbane Airport and with the aim of bringing these award-winning photographs to as many people as possible, a selection of images will also be gracing the airport’s terminals, giving you ample reason to arrive for your flight with time to spare!
The main exhibition is free entry and will be displayed all throughout Brisbane Powerhouse from 9am to 5pm, with extended hours over the weekend. The bulk of the exhibition is on the Turbine Platform, then continues in the Fairfax Studio on the lower level at Brisbane Powerhouse.