"If ever there was a time for the Prix Pictet to take up the theme of Fire, that time is now."
Founded in 2008, The Prix Pictet is an international prize for photography created by the Swiss-based Pictet Group. Its purpose is to draw attention to critical sustainability issues that threaten humanity and our planet through the powerful medium of photography.
The ninth cycle of the award takes the theme of fire – an element that has been the focus of headlines worldwide as the effects of climate change continue to worsen. From the devastation of Notre Dame in Paris to the unprecedented forest fires in the Amazon to the bush and wildfires in California and Australia.
Speaking on the theme, Chairman of the Prix Pictet Jury, Sir David King, writes in his foreword to the accompanying book: "If ever there was a time for the Prix Pictet to take up the theme of Fire, that time is now. Last summer we were inundated with images of the fire at its most frighteningly destructive ... These were not the harbingers of a crisis; they are the thing itself. This is it. The fire, long foreseen, has finally arrived. It is as if the future has somehow slipped into the present while we have been busy looking elsewhere and discussing long-term solutions."
The Prix Pictet photography exhibition will be held in Hong Kong at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center between February 7 - 28. Within, you can witness countless works of art that have been inspired by major international events and individual experiences involving fire.
"It is the fourth element. Fire destroys and it renews," explains Stephen Barber, Chair of the Prix Pictet. "Fire means survival, renewal, and prosperity. Yet our abuse of this most capricious of elements is the source of most of our environmental woes."
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Address: Asia Society Hong Kong Center, 9 Justice Drive, Admiralty, Hong Kong
Price range: Free admission
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