LOBA 2016 (10/12)

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 für Fotografie (New School for 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: The Unbearable, the Sadness and the Rest by Clémentine Schneidermann.

The Parisian photographer moved to Abertillery in South Wales just a year ago. She had already completed her studies in Newport and, within the framework of a residency, began to deal more intensely with the living conditions in the region. The landscape is delightful, but the area is burdened by enormous economic and social problems. Since the final coal mines were closed down, the communities in the South Wales Valleys are suffering a post-industrial crisis. The series shown here presents an unusual stylistic combination of documentary, portrait and fashion photography.