Saatchi Gallery and Google+ Announce Six Finalists of the Motion Photography Prize

The Saatchi Gallery and Google+ have announced the six finalists for the Motion Photography Prize, the first global open entry competition for artists and creative people working with animated GIFs. The Prize received over 4,000 entries from 52 countries, and the six finalists will exhibit their work at the Saatchi Gallery in London from 17 April 2014.
 
The prize has six categories: Landscape, Lifestyle, Action, People, Night and Urban, which were judged by a panel of forward-thinkers comprised of film director Baz Luhrmann, artists Shezad Dawood, Tracey Emin and Cindy Sherman and Saatchi Gallery CEO Nigel Hurst. The six finalists chosen are:
 
Instantdreamsnet           Landscape
Kostas Agiannitis          Lifestyle
Micaël Reynaud             Action
Matthew Clarke              Night
Emma Critchley             People
Christina Rinaldi            Urban
 
The finalists’ motion photographs can be found here: http://goo.gl/cFcs0T
 
With the rise of smart phones and photo-sharing, photographers from all backgrounds worldwide are embracing new technology to tell their stories in innovative ways.
 
Motion photography has emerged as a new trend, but until now required special tools and know-how. Google+ allows users to effortlessly and automatically animate a series of still photographs and turn them into motion photography. In recognition of the exciting potential of this new technology, the Saatchi Gallery and Google+ launched the Motion Photography Prize, inviting photographers all over the world to celebrate this new creative art form.
 
The winner of the Motion Photography Prize will be announced on 16 April at the Saatchi Gallery in London, and will go on a once-in-a-lifetime trip with a photographer or film-maker as their mentor.
 
The exhibition will also be featured online on Saatchi Art, the world’s largest online gallery for emerging artists.
 
“We’ve been amazed to see how everyday photographers around the world have embraced our technology to bring their photography to life, and are incredibly excited to see some of the best of these motion photographs showcased at the Saatchi Gallery. The finalists show just how creative and engaging motion photography can be, enabling a new form of storytelling.” Cristian Cussen, Head of Marketing Google+ EMEA
 
“The Saatchi Gallery has been collaborating with Google since 2009 because our joint aims of bringing new art, culture and information to the widest possible audience and making it accessible dovetail so well. We are thrilled to be partnering with Google+ on an initiative that provides a global platform for exciting new motion photography. The entries have been truly remarkable, and we look forward to hosting the exhibition of the finalists’ motion photography at the Saatchi Gallery.” Nigel Hurst, CEO Saatchi Gallery  
 
The Motion Photography Prize will be open to the public from 17 April. Entry to all exhibitions at the Saatchi Gallery in London is free.