The jury, made up of six personalities from the world of art and culture, assists Viviane Esders in selecting the three nominated photographers, and among them, the winner.
For this 4th edition, here are the prestigious members who have agreed to join the jury.
Viviane Esders
Founder of the Prize and President of the Jury
Damarice Amao
Photography historian, doctor in art history, curator attaché for photography at Centre Pompidou
Damarice Amao is a photography historian and doctor in art history. She began her career as an associate curator for exhibitions such as Eli Lotar at the Jeu de Paume, Photographie, arme de classe and Dora Maar at Centre Pompidou. She recently presented the exhibitions Charlotte Perriand: Politique du photomontage and Nicole Gravier: Mythes et clichés at the Rencontres d’Arles, as well as Décadrage colonial at the Centre Pompidou. In 2022 and 2023, she curated the Unbound Foundation’s programme for the Unseen festival and served as artistic director of the Lectoure photography festival. She is the author of Eli Lotar et le mouvement des images and has contributed to numerous publications, including Bernar Venet: Photographies; James Barnor: The Roadmaker; Vivian Sassen: Phosphor; and George Hoyningen-Huene.
Antoine de Galbert
Contemporary art collector and patron of the arts
Antoine de Galbert is an unconventional collector and patron of the arts. In 1999 he established the Fondation Antoine de Galbert. In 2004, he inaugurated and presided over La Maison Rouge, a private foundation dedicated to contemporary art. La Maison Rouge remained a prominent institution until its closure in 2018. The Fondation Antoine de Galbert continues to support, promote and advocate for the production of contemporary art.
Arnaud Lévènes
Founder and manager of La Capsule, photographic residency
Arnaud Lévenès is a photographer and the founder and director of La Capsule, an artist residency dedicated to photography. His work in the field began with the creation of “Points de vue”, an association focused on amateur photographic practice. Combining experimentation with education, he established a photo lab and organised a programme of exhibitions and workshops. In 2009, he expanded this vision by founding La Capsule, now recognised as a hub for research and exploration in photography. The space hosts numerous exhibitions and artist exchanges, including Mon cousin Jacques by Bruno Boudjelal, Bloc by Maxime Richet, Dao by Chu-Yin Chen and Daphné Le Sergent, and Respiration by Zhen Shi and Thibault Brunet.
Robert Pujade
Philosopher, writer, art critic
Philosopher and doctor in aesthetics, professor of philosophy, Robert Pujade was part of the first university dedicated to teaching photography in Marseille. At the invitation of Lucien Clergue, he organised the debates for the Rencontres d’Arles from 1980 to 2016. He also played a key role in the establishment of the École Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie. The author of numerous works — including Art and Photography, Critique and Crisis, and Fantastic and Photography — he served as director of the IUT of Arles until 2012 and is currently the president of the “Phare d’Arles festival”.
Marie Robert
Chief curator of the Musée d’Orsay, in charge of photography and cinema
Marie Robert is the chief curator of photography and cinema at the Musée d’Orsay. A specialist in the 19th- and 20th-century history of these media through the lenses of gender and politics, she has curated exhibitions, including Misia, Reine de Paris; Splendeurs et misères. Images de la prostitution; Qui a peur des femmes photographes?; Jazz Power!; Enfin le cinéma!; and Henri Rivière, L’Homme à la caméra. In 2023, she was in residence at the Académie de France (Villa Médicis), where she launched a participatory platform, entitled “L’Album de la Villa”. Her current research focuses on the sentimental uses of photography.
Sonia Voss
Independant curator
Sonia Voss is an exhibition curator. Her exploration of East German photography led to the exhibition Restless Bodies at the Rencontres d’Arles 2019 and several related books, including The Freedom Within Us. Her research has since extended to Eastern Europe, especially the Lithuanian scene from the 1970s and 1980s, which she presented in an extensive group show at Paris Photo 2024. She curated the Louis Roederer Discovery Award at the Rencontres d’Arles 2021. She also accompanies artists such as Isabelle Le Minh, Anton Roland Laub, Thibault Brunet, and Tarrah Krajnak. Occasionally, she works on archives, such as that of Uraguchi Kusukazu, whom she introduced to the public in 2024 (Ama, Rencontres d’Arles).
Independant curator
Sonia Voss is an exhibition curator. Her exploration of East German photography led to the exhibition Restless Bodies at the Rencontres d’Arles 2019 and several related books, including The Freedom Within Us. Her research has since extended to Eastern Europe, especially the Lithuanian scene from the 1970s and 1980s, which she presented in an extensive group show at Paris Photo 2024. She curated the Louis Roederer Discovery Award at the Rencontres d’Arles 2021. She also accompanies artists such as Isabelle Le Minh, Anton Roland Laub, Thibault Brunet, and Tarrah Krajnak. Occasionally, she works on archives, such as that of Uraguchi Kusukazu, whom she introduced to the public in 2024 (Ama, Rencontres d’Arles).