Photographer Reinis Hofmanis is one of the five recipients of the Fujifilm GFX Challenge Global Grant Award, receiving 10,000 US dollars to complete the Shared Horizon photo series. The proposed series will explore the concept of borders, both physical and psychological, and the internal divides within society, capturing the complexities of life in the Baltic states at a time of rising geopolitical tensions.
The GFX Challenge grant programme, sponsored by Fujifilm, awards five global and ten regional grants each year to help the world’s most promising photographers realise their visionary projects that address themes that are meaningful to them. This year, 2,500 applications were received from all over the world, from which a total of 15 fellows were selected to realise their proposed photographic series by May this year.
One of the judges, curator Masako Sato, commented on Reinis’ upcoming photo series Shared Horizons: «As global instability increases, the concept of «border», symbolised by national boundaries, has become an increasingly important issue. Reinis Hofmanis’s project, originating from Latvia — a country that is inevitably confronted with this issue — will undoubtedly present a powerful image of contemporary concepts of «border» based on historical and geopolitical facts.
Reinis notes that Shared Horizons will focus not only on the physical border between Latvia and Russia, but also on the psychological borders in Baltic society. «ll three Baltic states — Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia — are currently reinforcing and upgrading their borders with Russia as a defense against potential aggression. However, my project goes beyond the physical aspects of this boundary. I would like to explore broader border zone, focusing on the psychological and societal divides within the Baltic states, examining the living spaces and communities as a whole,» says Reinis.
The photographer points out that the geopolitical situation and the war in Ukraine have not only highlighted the need to strengthen national borders, but have also deepened tensions between Latvian and Russian-speaking communities. Despite the fact that Russian TV channels are banned in Latvia, many people in the border areas still live in the Russian information space. This raises the question: where is the «border» really located? In his upcoming photo series, Reinis will explore the visible and invisible aspects of the concept of «border» in order to gain a deeper understanding of the consequences of geopolitical tensions in Baltic society. «IBy examining these borders, both seen and unseen, I hope to offer a deeper understanding of the geopolitical tensions that define our time and the impact they have on the lives of those who live in their shadow.»
Reinis Hofmanis (1985) is an artist and photographer. He studied photography at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hannover, Germany, and obtained a master’s degree from the Visual Communication Department of the Art Academy of Latvia. The artist’s works are characterised by a socio–anthropological point of view, which manifests in an interest in typifying different groups of society, their behavioural patterns, and effect on the surrounding environment. Reinis received the main prize at Archifoto in 2012 and 2013, and 2nd place in the Architecture category of the Sony World Photography Awards. His works have been featured in publications such as the New York Times, Financial Times, Spiegel, Esquire, Bloomberg, Le Monde, The Globe and Mail, and The British Journal of Photography.
You can find out more about the other Fujifilm GFX Challenge winners on the Fujifilm website.
Viedokļi