Recent Events – June
MAMM - Moscow
With the World Cup underway soon, Russia will be at the forefront of world attention in the next month.
But in the UK, we have been forced to focus on the country for some time and our Foreign Office has painted a dark picture of evil and malpractice. Visits and business have been discouraged. Far fewer English fans will travel to the football than in any World Cup in my life - this is a great shame and I am embarrassed as a British citizen that we have been spun so much propaganda. I have been to Moscow three times this year and the level of warmth and hospitality exceeds many favoured holiday destinations. Do not shy away from visiting a city that is spellbinding and storied.
Our exhibition at MAMM was one of the highlights of my career and I understand that over 35,000 people visited the museum to see my work. It was an honour to be shown at the most prestigious museum for photography in the world and I would like to thank the magnificent Olga Sviblova for believing in me. I return with my son, Cameron, to watch some football in a couple of weeks and I so look forward to introducing him to a country that has so much to offer a visitor.
I thank the people of Moscow for their generosity and hospitality over the month and in particular Alex Svetakov and Lena for all they have done to make my family, my friends and my team welcome in the most spectacular of cities.
Petra Gut Contemporary - Zurich
We concluded a busy month with several events in Zurich to coincide with the opening of our single artist show at the eponymous Petra Gut gallery in the heart of the city. It was Petra’s inaugural show at her new location and encouragingly it now looks like the show will be extended to run throughout the whole summer.
Huge numbers of people turned out in exceptionally humid conditions on the Thursday night and I want to thank Julius Baer for their continued support and advocacy in Switzerland. Andreas Feller and his team are a joy to work with. My gratitude also to our long-term friend and companion on our journey, Paul Schwob. Paul was the first man in Europe to back me and is a great pillar of support for all that we do in Switzerland.
We hope to add to our presence in the country in the future, but thanks to Maddox in Gstaad and Petra Gut in Zurich, we now have a material presence in the Swiss German part of the Alps.
Sotheby's - London
We fancied that we would get a high price for the last available standard size version of 78 Degrees North when it came under Lord Dalmeny’s hammer at Sotheby's London in May. Shot on a trip with Natural World Safaris, it is as good a picture as I have taken in the arctic and is cherished by those that own a copy. Sometimes less is more and this photograph makes that point with emphatic clarity.
Nevertheless, to set a new record for my work was a thrill and when the auction ended, it was a nice moment for me to see where my lot was placed on the day. So many of the names around me were and are my heroes. I hope I can continue to earn my place amongst artists that have truly inspired me over 30 years.