Star Award

In the fourth edition of the Star Photobook Dummy Award, the winning dummy was Our Hidden Room by Mohamed Hassan, which tells the fragmented story of the complex yet affectionate relationship between the author and his father, also a photographer. During the author’s youth in Egypt, his father often behaved erratically and with his partner, becoming increasingly obsessed with a small, dark room hidden in the family home. His father suffered from bipolar disorder, and in an era when mental health issues were not fully understood, this ultimately led to his suicide.

The dummy was nominated by British creative director Louise Fedotov-Clements, head of the Photoworks platform. The jury selected this project as the winner from among 153 dummy submissions.

In its decision, the jury noted that “Hassan’s book project is an enigmatic yet captivating personal exploration of mental illness, family relationships, and trauma.” Drawing on the memory of his father’s troubled bipolar life in Egypt, and the complexity of connecting with images and places through a diasporic perspective, the author addresses concepts such as memory, belonging, pain, and guilt. His view of his homeland from abroad combines nostalgia and exile, connecting it to a broader understanding of himself and offering him a renewed opportunity to revisit his own identity. Through his own photographs and family archives, he constructs a complex emotional portrait of often-silenced themes.

In the third edition of the Star Photobook Dummy Award, the winning dummy was I Imagined It Empty by Ruth Lauer Manenti. This project portrays the farewell to a loved one with a simple and poetic perspective. Its visual narrative creates an intimate world that leads the reader toward the vertigo of human existence.

The dummy was submitted to the Award by nominator Gabriela Cendoya-Bergareche, a photobook collector. From among the 108 dummy submissions received, the jury selected this project as the winner.

The jury’s decision was based on the following statement: “The winning dummy portrays the farewell to a loved one from a simple and poetic perspective. The images, both sweet and harsh, flow in a timeless sequence that reveals a delicate process of accepting death. The sober and almost ascetic design reflects a sense of emptiness, while at the same time allowing a glimpse into a life and a complex human relationship. The project conveys a profound silence.” The visual narrative alternates between empty spaces and memories, creating an intimate world that leads the reader towards the vertigo of human existence.

The winning dummy of the second Star Photobook Dummy Award was Mateusz Kowalik’s Devil’s Rib, a project about the radical and inspiring decision to live in nature made by some people—modern hermits who voluntarily choose to escape the frenetic pace of urban life to inhabit a wild environment, with all its charms and challenges.

This work was nominated by Krzysztof Candrowicz, curator, sociologist, researcher, activist, and co-founder of Fotofestiwal in Łódź. It was selected as a finalist and subsequently won, among the 157 models received in the 2022 competition.

In its decision, the jury highlighted that “the images in this model introduce us to a world where nothing is taken for granted. Seemingly idyllic, the imperfect landscapes and the people portrayed manage to convey the reality of this alternative way of life. The photographs transmit equal parts strength and vulnerability, tension and tranquility, accompanied by brief texts that offer complementary information about the daily tasks and emotional aspects that these people face.”

The winning dummy of the first edition of the Star Photobook Dummy Award was Eduardo & Miguel by Ignacio Coló, which introduces us to the daily life of the Portnoy brothers, twins in their fifties who have never been apart since birth.

The proposal was submitted by nominator Nicolas Janowski, an artist and curator, and was selected as the winner from among 153 dummy entries.

The jury of the first edition of the Star Award highlighted Coló’s approach to the subject, “in a simple and intimate way, demonstrating a high degree of connection with his subjects. Without ignoring the harsher and sadder aspects of this human relationship, in whose story feelings of isolation and loneliness are recurrent. Despite this, the artist manages to convey an optimistic attitude, offering an intimate and tender perspective that gives value to small, everyday gestures.”

The jury members also valued two aspects: the natural way in which the project intuitively and directly connects with the experiences of its protagonists; and, secondly, the way in which it addresses, on a deeper and more complex level of interpretation, universal concepts such as loneliness, vulnerability, identity, and love.