Byblos Bank has announced the names of the ten finalists of the 2017 Byblos Bank Award for Photography, the sixth edition of one of Lebanon’s most sought-after artistic photography prizes.

Marc Abou-Jaoude, Mahmoud Baayoun, Araz Boutchakjian, Joe Ghanem, Lamis Hakim, Tracy Majdalani, Rawan Mazeh, Maria Mouallem, Tamara Saade, and Georges Yazbek will exhibit their work at the BEIRUT ART FAIR (21-24 September). One of them will be announced winner of the 2017 Byblos Bank Award for Photography on the last day of the fair. The laureate will be chosen by a world-renowned jury of photography professionals whose members include: Agnès Grégoire (President), Editorial Director of PHOTO magazine; Frederico Freschi, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Art, Design, and Architecture at the University of Johannesburg; Judith Peyrat, Artistic Director of Baudoin Lebon Gallery in Paris; Marc Mouarkesh, Managing Director of the Arab Image Foundation in Beirut; Noel Nasr (Mentor), Coordinator of the Photography Program at the Notre-Dame University – Louaizé.     

This year, some 208 candidates registered online on www.byblosbankaward.com for a chance to win the award, a 73% increase from 2016. The finalists were selected following careful consideration by BEIRUT ART FAIR and the president of the jury. As in previous years, the winner of the Byblos Bank Award for Photography will receive a unique package of professional advice and support, all backed by in-depth knowledge of the local and regional markets for their work. This includes personalized expert mentoring for her or his first solo exhibition, hosting of the event at Byblos Bank Headquarters, and generous promotion through both a personal catalog and a dedicated media campaign.