Award of Excellence
The New Name of Death
Farshid Tighehsaz
VII Photo
Iran
With the matter of current pandemic our lives changed dramatically in worldwide, contributing to a pervasive sense of uncertainty, loss, and isolation. The traumatic situation of the pandemic threats our psychological existence directly. Especially, in closed and critical societies such as Iran it effects in very concerning way. This project is a deep exploration into the aspect of reality that disappeared in news coverage. Mahammad Hatami, the head of the psychology organization of Iran reported; 'Since the Covid-19 pandemic began it hits the people's life. In post-Covid society we are facing with the tsunami of the psychological disorders, which it will emerge with social damages. In fact, COVID-19 threat increased the complexity and depression in society more than ever. The death toll is rising every day and this is worrying situation. These factors combined brought about an experience of a trauma, whose impacts will also disorganization the social behavior that related to the well-being of the population. A transformation is happening in our psychological dimension of everyday life -- an invisible mutation which hides itself behind the masks and gloves.
Farshid Tighehsaz is a documentary photographer based in Tabriz, Iran represented by VII Photo. While he studied psychology, Tighehsaz’s drive to become a photographer was inspired by his father’s passion for the medium. His work focuses on the experience of being human and the structural, cultural, environmental and interior aspects that determine our lives. His first project “The Environment of Love” came from a relationship that helped him to re-imagine his world, and his second “Like Color of Loneliness,” documents the sudden loss of his father and how grief reshaped his family. Tighehsaz is currently continuing his long-term project “Labyrinth” about the socio-psychological experiences of Iran’s post-revolutionary generations, as well as “The New Name of Death,” in response to the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. His work has been published internationally by The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and others. Tighehsaz has been honored by the POY77 World Understanding Award, Cortona On The Move, the LensCulture Critics’ Choice Award and FotoEvidence book award for his project “Labyrinth.” Also, he was awarded the Alexia Foundation Professional Grant 2020 for “The New Name of Death,” among others.
[ COVID PICTURE STORY ] A multiple-picture story, essay, sequence or series based on daily coverage of general news or breaking news related to COVID-19. Each submission consists of 10 to 20 images. Each participant is allowed to enter up to 3 submissions. All images must be taken in 2020 or 2021.
Judges for Covid Picture Story
