Young South African photographer, Mikhael Subotzky and British artist, Patrick Waterhouse have won the Discovery Award at Recontres d’Arles, for their collaboration, Ponte City. 

The pair, who met while Subotzky was in residency in Italy, have spent the past three years documenting the decline of the tallest residential block in Africa to a ghetto. Comprising photographs of the Joburg building, found objects, interviews and historical archives, the body of work was presented at Arles in a towering installation...

Young South African photographer, Mikhael Subotzky and British artist, Patrick Waterhouse have won the Discovery Award at Recontres d’Arles, for their collaboration, Ponte City. 

The pair, who met while Subotzky was in residency in Italy, have spent the past three years documenting the decline of the tallest residential block in Africa to a ghetto. Comprising photographs of the Joburg building, found objects, interviews and historical archives, the body of work was presented at Arles in a towering installation of thousands of photographs.

Arguably Europe’s most important photography festival, Recontres d’Arles takes place in July in Arles, France.

South African photographer Jo Ratcliffe, was also featured on the exhibition, and also copped a mention in the Guardian for her ‘subtle and suggestive’ images of postwar Angolan landscapes.

Image courtesy Mikhael Subotzky and Patrick Waterhouse, and the Goodman Gallery.