European Prospects Artist, Alnis Stakle won the New East Photo Prize 2018 for his Series 'Heavy Waters'
Calvert 22 Foundation named Latvian photographer, Alnis Stakle winner of the New East Photo Prize 2018 earlier this year. His series Heavy Waters was selected for the 2018 exhibition situated in Calvert Avenue, London which is currently on show until 2nd December 2018.
The exhibition celebrates photography from Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia. It is currently showcasing selected work by the finalists nominated by the foundation. It celebrates this underrepresented region and the lives of those who live there. The prize itself champions perspectives on the people and the stories of the New East (the 29 centuries of Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Russia and Central Asia) including work from professional and non-professional photographers who cover a range of styles and techniques.
Alnis Stakle claimed first prize for his series Heavy Waters, which focuses on the towns and rural territories across the Crimean Coast. It is a region full of history as Crimea was once part of the Soviet Union until its collapse, where it then became a part of Russia. Before the collapse in the 1990s, Crimea was one of the most popular resorts, with its spas, sanatoriums and health resorts all serving as prominent functionaries for the Communist Party.
However, the local economy has undergone a radical change since the closure of these resorts, resulting in low employment and less industry. Shot in 2011, Heavy Waters depicts the slow decay of the region’s Soviet legacy and the peninsula’s new capitalist rebirth.
For more information regarding Heavy Waters or other work by Alnis Stakle, please visit his website below: