Huawei presents the 2019 HUAWEI NEXT-IMAGE Awards Exhibition in this year’s Paris Photo started from Nov.6^th till Nov.10^th. Shown here are works taken with Huawei smartphones, centering on the competition’s category, by photographers and photography enthusiasts from more than 150 countries and regions. Of more than 520,000 entries, judges selected six category winners, 50 runners-up, and 5,000 editors’ picks for display.

The HUAWEI NEXT-IMAGE Awards were established in 2017; after 2018’s hotly-anticipated photography competition, which saw the greatest number of submissions of all such events, this year’s competition marks a new high point in the history of NEXT-IMAGE, receiving more than 520,000 submissions from across the world. This competition has also brought awards-winning photographers Steve McCurry, Gueorgui Pinkhassov, Bieke Depoorter, and Alec Soth from renowned photographic collective Magnum Photos to serve as judges, aiming to create a culture of authoritative, specialized, and timely “Next-Images.” Depoorter’s own photographs, taken with the HUAWEI P30 Pro, will also be shown alongside the other work in a special segment of the exhibition.

On the evening of November 6, the judges visited the exhibition in Paris’s Grand Palais to host a special award ceremony for this year’s winners, which was highlight of the entire event.

NEXT-IMAGE Awards judges and Magnum photogprahers Gueorgui Pinkhassov and Bieke Depoorter, along with Li Changzhu, Vice President of Handsets Product Line of HUAWEI CBG, Andrew Garrihy, Western Europe CMO of HUAWEI CBG, and other notable guests, presented the winners with their awards.

The prize winners from every corner of the world were joined by their friends and family. This chance to witness their work in one of the world’s top photographic venues is sure to be a cherished memory.

Photographic art has benefited enormously from improvements in science and technology; as the latter two change and progress, they have transformed photography into a means to document the era and to reflect on, and intensify, lived realities. Improvements in hardware have made the cellphone one of the most relevant tools for normal people to record contemporary life. Cellphone photography, both portable and user-friendly, has transformed those who live in the post-internet age into artists, able to create without restraint, using the visual power of photographs to inspire audiences’ sympathy. The speed of transmission of such photographs has created a new culture of images.

The exhibition has been divided into several categories according to the themes: “#Emotion Tag”, “Hello, Life!”, “Faces”, “Going the Distance”, “Life Now”, and “Storyboard”. Together, they explore the dynamic potential of photography within a static space. In terms of presentation, elements of these photographic artworks extend into the spaces that they inhabit, set carefully on specific positions on the exhibition walls; depending on where they stand, viewers will be able to see spaces and artworks of different themes. Depending on the route that viewers take, their shifting, alternating perspectives coincide with sublime moments of frozen time. As they are surrounded by stunning photos and rich colors, viewers will experience the intricate emotions behind “Next-Image,” as well as the aesthetic and creative potential that human beings can discover in everyday life. The windows interspaced in the exhibition walls further interrupt the closed aspect of the show; in specific positions, the view of the Grand Palais outside the exhibition space will enter into the consciousness of viewers as they gaze, read, and think, becoming juxtaposed with the artworks themselves, creating lively photographic artworks. The exhibition design allows viewers of different backgrounds to use their own lived experiences and knowledge of contemporary culture, and of how color creates mood, to create their own story.

As a competition with global reach, the HUAWEI NEXT-IMAGE Awards give everyone the chance to become a photographer and to display their own unique style. Those who participate in the competition are not limited by geography or culture; they not only have the chance to receive feedback from world-class experts, but also to step into the world-class exhibition space of Paris Photo, and tell the world their own story. The HUAWEI NEXT-IMAGE Awards use photography to connect people from across the world; in the grand narrative created in the moment a shutter clicks, it demonstrates the diversity of tastes in the age of globalization. In the emotion revealed by each photograph, and the touching stories behind them, audiences will discover the passion and value behind technology, inspiring them to seek out and record beautiful moments of their own. The power of photography and the passion of technology can change how we see and understand the world.

About HUAWEI NEXT-IMAGE Awards

Established in 2017, the HUAWEI NEXT-IMAGE Awards is a competition for photos taken on mobile phones, and a major component of the “HUAWEI NEXT-IMAGE” plan. It brings together top-level photographic resources with the aim of creating a new photographic culture that is authoritative, professional, and always advancing with the times.

Inspired by the social trends enabled by mobile photography and videography, Huawei initiated its “Next-Image” concept, which can provide deep insight into how photography is evolving due to new technology changing the shape of community, technique, content, and channels for sharing and feedback. Huawei mobile phones consistently provide the ultimate shooting experience and image quality for consumers around the world, and are always exploring the future of mobile imaging.

The HUAWEI NEXT-IMAGE Awards are not only an international competition for mobile photography, but also a global dialogue around mobile imaging technology, mobile photography experience, and new expressions. The competition’s guiding purpose and philosophy is to inspire the creative spark in mobile phone users, encouraging them to share their excitement for life by taking and sharing photos at any place and any time.