DAVIDE MONTELEONE
Critical Minerals – Geography of Energy
Leica Oskar Barnack Award Winner 2024
From the series Critical Minerals – Geography of Energy
© Davide Monteleone
Courtesy of Leica Oskar Barnack Award
From the series Critical Minerals – Geography of Energy
© Davide Monteleone
Courtesy of Leica Oskar Barnack Award
In the photographer’s on-going, long-term study, he questions the current reorientation of the energy industry towards renewable sources, and problematises the resulting and complicated geopolitical, social and ecological effects, using the examples of copper, lithium and cobalt mining in Chile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Indonesia. In his multi-layered series he shows the landscapes and industrial complexes, while making the people working there the central focus of his work.
The winning series was proposed by Italian LOBA nominator Antonia Benedetta Donato.
From the series Critical Minerals – Geography of Energy
© Davide Monteleone
Courtesy of Leica Oskar Barnack Award
From the series Critical Minerals – Geography of Energy
© Davide Monteleone
Courtesy of Leica Oskar Barnack Award
From the series Critical Minerals – Geography of Energy
© Davide Monteleone
Courtesy of Leica Oskar Barnack Award
Statement DAVIDE MONTELEONE:
“The prestige of the award is undisputable, and I am -happy my name will be listed among the incredible Masters of Photography who won it before me. I’m also excited about the visibility opportunities the prize will give the project and the story. It’s an important topic; I’m glad it’s receiving attention. The transition to green energy and the fair distribution of resources are critical issues. Any publicity for my project is welcome in this regard.”
DAVIDE MONTELEONE was born in Potenza, Region Basilicata, Italy, in 1974, and lives today in Switzerland. He has a Masters in Art and Politics from Goldsmith University London, and is a curator and teacher for many public and private institutions. In 2001 he began to live and work in Moscow. His work as a visual artist and researcher encompasses the fields of image design, visual journalism and writing. For several years now he has been focussing on climate issues, at the intersection between economics and geopolitics. Monteleone has published numerous books, writes regularly for magazines such as National Geographic, Time and The New Yorker, and his work has been exhibited widely. He has been honoured with the National Geographic Storyteller’s Fund, the National Geographic Society Fellowship, the Asia Society Fellowship, the Carmignac Photojournalism Award, the EPEA Award, the European Publishers Award and several World Press Photo Awards, among others. He was already on the LOBA 2020 shortlist, with his “Sinomocene” series.
Further information about this year’s winners is available at:
