In honor of the 100th anniversary of the painter and multimedia artist's birth, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation is presenting a one-time award of $100,000 to four artists. Senga Nengudi won the Rauschenberg Centennial Award for visual art, David Thomson for performance, Chandra McCormick and Keith Calhoun for photography, and Patricia Spears Jones for writing.
The 2025 Refocus International Photographer of the Year Awards reaffirmed the platform's status as a leading showcase for contemporary photography, highlighting work that transcends borders and cultures. This year's winners delivered not just images but deeply human stories, ranging from raw street moments to bold conceptual pieces. Canadian photographer Luke Gram earned the top honor for his series "Humanity Within the Architecture of Control," a subtle yet powerful exploration of everyday life inside North Korea that reveals how individuality persists within rigid systems.
Artists are the diarists and journalists of the days in which we live. Politics and religion will always separate us but art has the possibility of bringing us together. Today his words resonate even more deeply. We live in an age of noise and division. And we recognise art is not just for beauty or entertainment but it serves a central role in our society and in the common human experience. It is a powerful vehicle for diverse ideas and expressions that inspire us, challenge us and heal us.
The 2024 Mobile Photography Awards highlight the power of smartphone photography, proving that compelling visual storytelling doesn't require professional equipment.