World Press Photo Exhibition Opens in Budapest

The World Press Photo exhibition opened on Thursday evening in Budapest's Biodome, showcasing the images of 31 photographers from 24 countries.

Every year, the World Press Photo exhibition is a major cultural event in Budapest, attracting thousands of visitors, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Hungary, Désirée Bonis, said at the opening of the exhibition on Thursday. This year, for the first time, the Hungarian capital is hosting an exhibition of the world's best and most important press and documentary photographs in a municipal venue, rather than a state one, she added.

Ms. Bonis recalled that World Press Photo was launched in 1955, and since then its mission has expanded considerably, becoming a worldwide platform. The ambassador underlined that it is important to see the truth, to hear it and to face it, so that we can form an opinion and take action.

Joumana El Zein Khoury, the executive director of the World Press Photo Foundation, noted at the event that the Hungarian capital has hosted the exhibition for 48 years.

Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony pointeds out that the photographs depicted an undeniable reality that encouraged people to "get to grips with future challenges" while introducing future generations to such challenges so they "can be in control of them."

The exhibition's chief curator, Tamás Révész, said the accompanying exhibition presented pictures and videos taken by Eszter Cseke and András S Takács, the creators of the 15-year-old Hungarian documentary series ‘On the Spot’, which tells of their travels in various parts of the world.