Russian Consul General Aleksei Malenko at the launch of the Andrei Stenin International Press Photo exhibition in Cape Town.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane
The launch of the Andrei Stenin International Press Photo exhibition brought together not only media professionals but delegates from Russia at the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town on Tuesday.
At the exhibition, which is open to the public, the MC for the evening, IOL Editor-in-Chief, Lance Witten welcomed all guests as excitement set in, in the Good Hope Gallery.
The Cape Town exhibition is hosted by Independent Media, IOL, and the African News Agency (ANA), in collaboration with the Sputnik News Agency and Radio.
Speaking at the launch, Russian Consul General Aleksei Malenko was elated to welcome the crowd.
IOL Editor Lance Witten, who was the MC for the evening, kept the spirits high before the exhibition launch.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane
“Cape Town joins the list of cities with the best works of photographs. The exhibition holds a great interest in South Africa, especially Capetonians. This contest plays an important role in cultural appreciation,” Malenko said.
“Photography is a universal language. This year’s exhibition highlights the power of visual storytelling. Straight cultural democracy,” Malenko said.
He also welcomed the good relationship between South Africa and Russia.
“Russia and South Africa are not only friends, but also strategic partners within the BRICS alliance.”
He said the nations are locked in the same vision for sustainable development.
“BRICS is not purely a political and economic alliance, it is also a bridge for cultural exchange, which plays a crucial role in fostering mutual understanding. Art, photography, literature, and the film industry are powerful means of communication and make people put aside their differences and bring people closer together,” Malenko said.
Independent Media and Sekunjalo Group chairperson, Dr Iqbal Survé expressed his excitement for partnering the fifth time with Sputnik.
“A picture tells a thousand words. We live in complex times in the world today. The world needs peace now more than ever. There are always different sides to a story, but the one thing that always brings us together in a way is photographs," Survé said.
The Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest is an annual contest for young photojournalists, aged between 18 and 33. The contest was founded on December 22, 2014, by the Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency under the auspices of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO.
The Andrei Stenin Exhibition is recognised as one of the world’s top 10 photojournalism showcases and every year the competition attracts visual, captivating, and jaw-dropping photographs from photojournalists around the world.
The exhibition is open to the public and available for viewing at the Good Hope Gallery from March 12 until March 16.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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