Staffan and Liisa Widstrand both have awarded images in the BBC Wildlife Competition 2003. One of Liisa Widstrands images was this year awarded the title Highly Commended in the category ”Young Wildlife photographers, 10 years and under”, in the ”2003 BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year” Competition. Also her father Staffan had a Highly Commended image in the competition this year, in the ”World in our Hands” category. This is Liisas first and Staffans eighth awarded image in the famous competition – widely considered the World´s Number One Nature Photography Competition.
– I am so happy the jury appreciated Liisas bear image, says Staffan Widstrand.
– She managed to get the images of the bear doing funny things, while I, intending to film it on video, failed, losing the video battery down on the floor of the hide…
Staffans awarded image is a more gruesome picture of a recently shot bear, strung up by the neck in a wire in the forklift of a tractor, with a piece of firewood tucked in to keep the chest open.
An exhibition about the Scandinavian Big Five By Magnus Elander, Staffan Widstrand and Kulturhuset at Kulturhuset, Stockholm, Sweden. Only decades ago, the large carnivores were almost made extinct in Sweden. Today their numbers are increasing again. A fact that stirs up strong feelings. Many have immediate opinions, and most people have questions.
– We have tried to put the carnivore issues in a credible context. This is an exhibition largely about Man, the two-legged carnivore, and about how we relate to our four-legged colleagues and competitors, says Staffan Widstrand.
– We try to use the carnivores as mirrors to look at ourselves. These are animals that we have been living together with, since the Stone age. Animals that we have hated, admired, hunted, studied, revered, persectued, idolized and demonised to the extent that they are now an integral part of our culture and our national identity, says Magnus Elander.
– Maybe our views on the four-legged large carnivores, also tell us a bit about our views on, and our relations to our human neighbours? continues Widstrand.
– Maybe the debate about large carnivores to a certain extent actually deals with issues like our general level of tolerance, our respect towards fellow beings and how we develop attitudes? Maybe even our anxiety about changes in the environment? Or our level of hostility towards strangers, finishes Elander
Photographers and authors Magnus Elander and Staffan Widstrand are frequently published in international press.
They are multiple prize winners in the”BBC-Wildlife Photographer of the Year”-competition, and in the German ”GDT Europäischer Naturfotograf des Jahres”-competition (”European Nature Photographer of the Year”). Staffan was appointed ”Årets Naturfotograf” 2001 (”Nature Photographer of the Year in Sweden”). Two of their books were appointed ”WWF-Panda Book of the Year” in Sweden and one in Norway. Their books have been published in 9 languages, and their exhibitions have been on display in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, France and Canada.
Beasts or beauties is an exhibition, enjoyable for everyone from about 10 years of age and up.
Exhibition producers: Staffan Widstrand, Magnus Elander and Giovanna Jörgensen
Project leader: Helena Gomér
Scenographer: Bo-Masen Larsson
The language in the exhibition is Swedish.
For further information:
Magnus Elander, +46-70-669 10 21
amarok@algonet.se
Staffan Widstrand, +46-70-657 33 24,
photo@staffanwidstrand.se
On October 4, a photographic exhibition opened in Virserum in southern Sweden, showing 40 of Staffan Widstrands images of the Big Five Nordic carnivores.
The venue, Virserums konsthall, is a highly appreciated art gallery that has gained wide respect and acclaim. The exhibition will be open until November 23. – My images are about Man, the two-legged carnivore, and about how we relate to our four-legged colleagues and competitors, says Staffan Widstrand.
– These are animals that we have lived together with here, since the Stone age. Animals that we have hated, admired, hunted, studied, revered, persectued, idolized and demonised so much that they are now an integral part of our cultural history and our national identity.
– Maybe our views on our four-legged large carnivore nighbours, at the same time also tells us a bit about our view on and our relations to our fellow human neighbours?
– Maybe the debate about large carnivore issues to a not so small extent really is about issues like our general level of tolerance, about our humility towards our fellow beings and about how we develop attitudes?
Maybe even about our fear of change?
Or about our level of hostility towards strangers?
For further information:
Staffan Widstrand
+46-70-657 33 24
photo@staffanwidstrand.se
www.staffanwidstrand.se
Free press images may be downloaded from the above web site.
