LiberPress Award 2014

Visa pour l’Image is the international photojournalism festival par excellence, an event that has gained worldwide prestige. To date 26 editions of the festival have been held. It takes place every year in Perpignan during the month of September and constitutes an exceptional event for lovers of photography. Under the leadership of its president and founder, Jean-François Leroy, it brings together thousands of visitors who share the same passion for photojournalism and is an excellent opportunity to see a selection of the best photographic reports in incomparable locations; Perpignan makes available to the Festival a series of partially rehabilitated buildings which are normally closed during the year. They constitute a magnificent setting for displaying images that take us to distant countries and scenarios in situations where there are difficulties and conflicts.

They include old convents, such as Couvert Sainte Claire, Couvert des Minimes, Chapelle du Tiers-Ordres and Église des Dominicains, as well as civil buildings, such as Arsenal des Carmes, Caserne Gallieni and Hotel Pams.

The town of Perpignan is generous in hosting the event and, parallel to the official section of the Festival, more than 50 shops and other establishments host the OFF section, displaying more than 70 small amateur exhibits. For two weeks photography can be seen in every corner: documentaries, photographic displays, both current and retrospective, round tables, conferences, discussions, educational programmes, the exhibition and sale of photography books, etc.

Each year the Visa Festival welcomes more than 3,000 accredited professionals, around 300 agencies from more than 50 countries, and 300,000 visitors. It is a great festival and market for the image.