LOBA 2016 (1/12)

On 28 September, the awards ceremony for the Leica Oskar Barnack Award will take place as part of the European Month of Photography in Berlin. For the first time, Leica will present all winning and shortlisted series in a major exhibition, displayed at the Neue Schule der Fotografie (New School of Photography) in Berlin for the duration of the festival from 29 September to 23 October 2016.

Until the winners of the main and newcomer award have been revealed, we will take a look at the twelve submissions that have made it onto the shortlist – presenting one series each day. Today: Chasing Hampa by Juan Pablo Bellandi.

Hampa is the word Venezuelans use for criminals. Juan Pablo Bellandi spent ten months accompanying the police during their life-threatening operations in his home town of Mérida. With this personal project, the Venezuelan photographer wants to show how criminality and violence define the daily life of his compatriots. The reasons are many: corruption and years of mismanagement have ruined the country, and the falling oil price seems to have given the economy its final death blow – the country is descending into chaos.