"Spasibo"
by Davide Monteleone
4th Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award laureate

Exhibition: 11 October – 3 November 2014

More information : www.fondation-carmignac.com/photojournalism-award/

The Carmignac Foundation presents Spasibo, an exhibition of photographs depicting life in Chechnya by Italian photojournalist Davide Monteleone. Through winning the 4th edition of the Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award, Monteleone was funded to work in Chechnya between December 2012 and April 2013.

As a result of a collaboration between the Saatchi Gallery and the Carmignac Foundation, the exhibition marks the UK launch of this major photography award and is the first time Monteleone’s images of Chechnya have been seen in this country.

Monteleone’s photographs investigate the social, political and economic realities of Chechnya, a country ravaged by war and extreme violence under the autocratic regime of Ramzan Kadyrov, Head of the Chechen Republic. Spasibo is the Russian word for “thank you” and can be read as an ironic gesture of gratitude to Chechnya’s oppressors. Highlights of the exhibition include Rada, 14, trying on a wedding dress, as well as Monteleone’s arresting image of wrestlers in a gym being watched by Vladimir Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov and Akhmad Kadyrov, whose portraits hang overhead.

The Carmignac Foundation launched the Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award in 2009 with the aim of supporting and celebrating photojournalism. This unique award funds an emerging photographer to visit areas of the world at the centre of geostrategic conflicts, where human rights and freedom of speech are often violated. The award is distinct from other photography prizes due to its emphatic global concern and specific geographical focus, which changes annually. Previous themes include Gaza, Pashtunistan and Zimbabwe. Iran was the chosen region for the 5th edition. The theme for the 6th award, which is currently open for entries, is Lawless areas in France.

A key aim of the award is to support the winning photojournalist by providing a global platform for their work to be seen and collected. The Carmignac Foundation collaborates with the winner throughout the entire project by financing a monograph and curating an international touring exhibition to locations including Paris, Milan, Arles, Frankfurt and, finally, London (a new touring destination for 2014). The Carmignac Foundation also commits to purchasing four photographs from the winner’s portfolio, which then enter Carmignac’s prestigious art collection.

Winners of the Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award include Kai Wiedenhöfer (Gaza – 2009), Massimo Berruti (Pashtunistan – 2010), Robin Hammond (Zimbabwe – 2011) and Newsha Tavakolian (Iran - 2013).

DAVIDE MONTELEONE
Davide Monteleone (b. 1974) began his career in 2000, when he became an editorial photographer for the Contrasto agency. The following year he moved to Moscow as a correspondent. This decision determined his ensuing career. Since 2003, Monteleone has lived between Italy and Russia, pursuing long-term personal projects. He published his first book, Dusha, Russian Soul in 2007, followed by La Linea Inesistente in 2009, and Red Thistle in 2012. His projects have brought him numerous awards, including various World Press Photo prizes and several grants such as ‘Aftermath’ and the European Publisher Award. In recent years he has carried out projects for leading international magazines, foundations and cultural institutions, exhibiting and teaching. Davide Monteleone’s fine art prints are available at Kehrer Berlin Galerie, Berlin and his editorial work is distributed by VII Photo.

THE CARMIGNAC FOUNDATION
Edouard Carmignac, one of the world’s leading asset managers, has been collecting contemporary art for more than 25 years. His rich and varied collection, put together without bias or creative constraint, is housed in the Carmignac Gestion offices on Place Vendôme in Paris and in its international subsidiaries.

With roots in Pop Art and German Expressionism, the Carmignac collection currently boasts more than 200 paintings, photographs and sculptures from the 20th and 21st centuries, including major works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Gerhard Richter. Recent acquisitions include works focusing on emerging countries. The collection reflects a predilection for the avant-garde and evolving artistic approaches, which echoes the pioneering spirit that has informed Carmignac Gestion’s success on the global markets since the company was founded in 1989.

Created in 2000 and led by Gaïa Donzet, the Carmignac Foundation aims to open up its art collection to a wider audience. The mission of the Carmignac Foundation is to share; in 2016, the Foundation will open a major new arts centre on the island of Porquerolles in the French Riviera, where key works from the Carmignac collection will be exhibited to the public for the first time. This exceptional site will become increasingly vibrant as artists are invited to the island to create site-specific works, inspired by their unique surroundings. The Foundation also runs the Carmignac Gestion Photojournalism Award – an investigative photojournalism award equally indicative of the Foundation’s progressive, forward-thinking approach.

THE SAATCHI GALLERY
The Saatchi Gallery was founded in 1985 with the aim of making contemporary art accessible to the widest possible audience by providing an innovative platform for emerging artists to show their work. Over the last five years the Saatchi Gallery has hosted 15 out of the top 20 most visited exhibitions in London according to The Art Newspaper’s survey of international museum attendance. It is also ranked amongst the world’s top five most liked museums on Facebook and Twitter by Museum Analytics. The Saatchi Gallery website has become a global meeting place for people interested in contemporary art.