Hell behind bars

The International Photography Awards 2015 (IPA 2015) have been handed out in numerous categories. Among the winners is Valerio Bispuri, whose Encerrados series earned him second place in the book segment “Documentary” (Professionals). For his long-term reportage documenting the living conditions of prison inmates in South America (also appearing in the M Magazine No. 2), the Italian photographer (*1971) visited 74 prisons from Venezuela down to Chile, over a time span of ten years. His oppressive black and white images show the convicts trying to maintain some kind of dignity while being caught between power plays, violence and an extreme space shortage. By documenting the way these people are treated, Bispuri places a mirror in front of each of their corresponding societies.

Kacper Kowalski also received one of the IPA 2015. His aerial series, Side Effects, that was taken in collaboration with Leica, earned him second and third place in the “Nature” and “Other” book categories respectively.

All winners with information about their respective projects can be found at: International Photography Award and Facebook