PARIS, FRANCE.- Fondation HSBC pour la Photographie and Éditions Textuel are publishing Photographies Contemporaines Points de vue (Contemporary Photographs - Points of view ). This book, prefaced by Christian Caujolle, introduces the new generation of photographers, by presenting the work of 22 of them nowadays. These 60s and 70s born artists from France, Japan, Denmark, Great Britain and the United States, have all been laureates of Fondation HSBC pour la Photographie since its creation in 1995. The photographers presented in the book have been looking at our current world, questioning its issues, drifts, contradictions and changes. They reveal the terrific evolution of the documentary genre and criticise the usual opposition between journalists and artists’ visions.

The diversity of approaches, looks and sensibilities proper to everyone is illustrated through intimist or dreamlike photographs, portraits, documentaries or landscape views. What first shock the reader is the vigour of the photos of the young generation.

Photographies contemporaines - Points de vue help us to apprehend the evolution of these photographers’ works since they won awards by putting side by side recent pictures and others selected earlier by Fondation HSBC pour la Photographie. A short portrait summarise the key moments of their work and life. Then each of them comment their own work, research and inspiration sources.

As Christian Caujolle stresses in his foreword, "it must be underlined that while, in the beginning, photographers generally offered "collections" of pictures, they acquired today a bigger maturity, defending clearly structured projects, and, in most cases, have very precise ideas on the way they wish to exhibit their works and to publish them. What became remarkable, beyond the attention given to presentation, is their commitment to take a stand and make sense."

Fondation HSBC pour la Photographie supports the work of little-known professional photographers by helping them to promote their work and to bring it to a wider public. Every year, the Foundation selects two contemporary, living photographers working on the representation of reality, of any age or nationality.

The Foundation supports its laureates’works by: publishing a monograph for each of them in collaboration with Actes Sud, a well-known publishing company; organising, during the year following the selection of the laureates, a collective exhibition of their works in Paris, in the French regions and abroad; and acquiring for HSBC France at least 6 photographs - for a total amount of €5.000 - in order to create progressively a collection of photographs for the Group.