Photobook Award 2022 finalists
The jury of the Photobook Award considered the books published in 2022 to be of a very high standard. Notable qualities include the carefully thought out dialogue between form and content, as well as the ways in which the image and text support each other. Now, more than ever before, the photobook format is seen as a diverse platform for presenting photographs. The jury also pointed out that the role of book publishers is changing: today, the process of making photobooks feels like a dialogue between a photographer and a publisher.
The four finalists of Photobook Award 2022 are:
Adele Hyry: Chicken-Legged Hunter Ladybug
Tekla Inari: Ida Uphill (Bokeh)
Hilla Kurki: Almost All the Flowers in My Mother's Garden (Khaos Publishing)
Henrik Malmström: Do Not Believe Everything (Pseudo Editions)
The finalist books are independent artworks which dare to reach out in many directions. The choices made with regard to the physical appearance – the materials and size – of each book are successful and fluently compliment the content held within their pages. It was noted that the innovative uses of typography and layout challenge the boundaries of the photobook format.
The finalists were chosen by a pre-selection jury consisting of photographic artists Marko Hämäläinen, Niko Luoma and Aura Saarikoski. The winner will be chosen by by writer, art historian Anna Kortelainen.
Photobook Award 2022 winner will be announced at an open event on Thursday 13 of April at 4pm at The Finnish Museum of Photography, Cable Factory.
The finalist books are available for purchase at shop.hippolyte.fi/photobooks
Book images and videos by Minna Kurjenluoma.
Adele Hyry, Chicken-Legged Hunter Ladybug
Adele Hyry's book activates a strong, almost cinematic narrative. The layout of the book captures the viewer's attention with a thoughtful ease. The narrative created through the photographs – or pictorial poetry – flows naturally both forward and backwards. Among the four finalists, Hyry's book is the most 'classic' photobook. In it, the author has had the courage to play with carefully thought-out images. It's an ambitious first book and an impressive work that gives you the feeling that the artist is saying: "I'm doing this anyway!" The book's diary-like visual material has a taste of life, but without too much introversion, winking at the 90s. Also, what was found joyful were the thanks at the end of the book to the paragons, thinkers and references that contextualised the work.
Photographs: Adele Hyry
Graphic design: Adele Hyry
Texts: Adele Hyry, Nimco Kulmiye Hussei
Translations and proofreading: Adele Hyry, Hilla Körkkö, Inari Nikkanen, Emma Thomas
Retouching and grading: Adele Hyry
Published: Author's edition
Released: December 2022
Edition: 300
Printing: Jelgavas Tipografija, Latvia
ISBN 978-952-94-7080-8
Tekla Inari, Ida Uphill
Tekla Inari's book is a multidisciplinary work of art, and its endearing core consists of an inseparable poetic and pictorial narrative. Inari's book is the only work of fiction among the finalists. It creates a main character and an ambitious fictional story. The work pushes the boundaries of what a photobook and its narrative can be. The book's seemingly quotidian photographs are not disposable snapshots from the past but rather exist interwoven with words as part of a pictorial poetry collection. The typography is so exquisite, and the superimposed words emphasise the decay and plaintive visual observations gathered from the fringes of society. In the book, the reader engages with the edges of society, mental health, and absolutely everything. This work commendably addresses a brave subject.
Photographs: Tekla Inari
Graphic design: Jaakko Suomalainen
Texts: Tekla Inari
Translations: Kasper Salonen
Retouching and scanning: Petri Kuokka, Aarnipaja, Helsinki
Publisher: Bokeh
Released: October 2022
Edition: 400
Printing: Jelgavas Tipografija, Latvia
ISBN 978-952-7501-01-6
Hilla Kurki, Almost All the Flowers in My Mother's Garden
Hilla Kurki's book is magically beautiful. Its finalised details make a great impression on the reader. The book has a flower-like fragility and Kurki's mastery of its material is evident. The texts are touching. Also essential is the timelessness of the book: it reminds of the grandmother’s house, its existence is a kind of butoism, birth and death. Although the book contains references to various aspects of art history and the history of photography, it is original and one of a kind. The book's small size is significant in terms of its rhythm, and it is best appreciated when held in the reader's hand.
Photographs: Hilla Kurki
Graphic design: Samuli Saarinen
Translations and text editing: Hilla Kurki, Dawn Davis (proofreading)
Publisher: Khaos Publishing
Released: September 2022
Edition: 500
Printing: Printon AS, Tallinna
Cover printing: Alex Walker, AGA Lab
ISBN 978-952-68478-6-3
Henrik Malmström, Do Not Believe Everything
Henrik Malmström's work astounds the reader's mind. There is a sense of danger in this work. The book is devious and cunning, and becomes even more interesting and important in its playfulness with forbidden things. The book is faithful to its style on every level. Its paperback cover and rough imprint reflects its subject perfectly while maintaining the feel of a carefree zine. The layout and material of the book has the character of an instruction manual while, at the same time, it hides things and makes it impossible to see everything. The book cannot be digested all at once, and it leaves you with a tickling feeling.
Photographs and concepts: Henrik Malmström
Graphic design: Ricardo Baéz
Texts: Paavo Järvensivu, L.E.G. and Tero Toivanen
Translations: Eeva Talvikallio
Retouching: Bob Lightowler
Publisher: Pseudo Editions
Released: September 2022
Edition: 210
Printing: Printon AS, Tallinna
ISBN 978-952-94-6116-5
