Let’s check the World Press Photo 2021 Exhibition at the Singapore National Museum with a visit and walkthrough. The annual global traveling photographic exhibitions comprises of judged entries by an independent jury for the past year in press. For the 2022 exhibition, this include photographs you might remember from the last year in 2021 seen on news media local and abroad. Also, since 2015 the photo exhibition was first hosted at Raffles Hotel Singapore as an open free exhibition 7 years ago. It was in 2016 where it had been held at the Museum ever since.
A global traveling photo exhibition
In a nutshell, the World Press Photo competition event is a press photography contest and showcase. It has its roots since 1955 as means to recognize and award the efforts and the best photojournalism and documentary photography. Also, this 2021 exhibition started on display in Amsterdam, the Netherlands from 24 Jun, 2021 with the current exhibition tour on display Singapore from 15th of this month to 6th Feb 2022. Moreover, for the Singapore league of it 2021 edition, the exhibition is held at the National Museum of Singapore.
In addition, the exhibition for this year is situated on the museum’s second (level 2 glass atrium) and basement floor (the canyon). The exhibition follows through a familiar layout we seen from the past year and beyond. Also, entry to these open galleries are free. You see a familiar layout of free standing card-backed stands with the photos pasted on them lining the open galleries.
Documenting key 2021 event in photos
Notable photos includes The First Embrace by Rosa Luzia Lunardi. It captures nurse Adriana Silva da Costa Souza embracing a patient at Viva Bem care home, at São Paulo, Brazil. Also, you can find captivating and emotional photos from the destruction of the port explosion in Beirut, one caused by improper storage of impounded violate fertilizer chemicals.
Additionally, with the pandemic lock down in hand, it is not uncommon to see cute photo stories such as a journalist’s entertaining story at home by visiting feral pigeons.
Furthermore, there were environmental shots, though not much of animal action shots. There is one of a farmer defending his crops from a locust invasion in East Africa. Notably, the number of world press photos is considerably lower this year. The lesser variety of photos could be due to the current travel lock down and restrictions globally.
This probably could had been the reason for the lower photo yield this year. Also, there are some coverage on trench warfare during the Ukraine-Russian conflict, as well as the competition Nature series with a Sea lion swimming with trash in the sea.
Straits times photo exhibition
In addition to the World Press Photos exhibition is the Straits times photo exhibition too. The focus for the Straits Times photos exhibition for this year covers mostly environmental related photos. Examples include coverage on the heartland Floods during last year’s rainy season, as well as conservation efforts and Green initiatives. Also, you can find several aerial photographs of solar installation all over Singapore. This include those on land, housing rooftops and even the vast floating ones of the various Singapore reservoirs.
Moreover, the galleries are open and nicely spaced out, probably as part of the COIVD-19 distancing measures in place. Also, the museum is a popular spot with safe-distancing ambassadors.
All in all, you be good for both the Straits Times and World Press Photo Exhibition 2021 for about 60 to 90 minutes. This is especially if you wish to check out all the photos and captions in person. Also, the galleries opening hours are tied to the museum’s 10am to 7pm daily. The Singapore exhibitions from now till 13th Feb, 2022, where it would head to the Netherlands in Helmond following after as part of the world-wide tour.
[…] Also, you might remember it as the spot of the secondary galleries of this year’s world press photos. You enter this gallery via the museum second floor hall. You might remember the spot being the hall used to hold various minor exhibition events like the World press photos exhibition. […]