Print Together: International Print Day 2019
This year’s theme is #PRINT2GETHER, so as you might imagine we have plenty to say about print, people and why it matters for us all.
Exhibition
Printing the Nobel Peace Prize portfolio
Printing the Nobel Peace Prize portfolio by Andriani Lada
Canon Ambassadors and printing partners are bringing fresh insight into modern Ethiopia at the Nobel Peace Center.
At Canon, we hold the unique position of providing end-to-end solutions for professional image-makers: from lenses, cameras and editing software to large-format printers, inks and media. Because of this, photographers can have consistency in their workflow and the way their pictures are brought to life. The 2019 Nobel Peace Prize exhibition at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Norway, brings this process vividly to life.
Canon Europe Ltd is supporting the Nobel Peace Prize exhibition as digital print and imaging partner, with striking prints by our partners Studio Technika produced on an imagePROGRAF PRO-6000. But our connection with the exhibition actually began back at the capture stage.
Award-winning photographer Finbarr O`Reilly was commissioned by the Nobel Peace Center to photograph the 2019 Peace Prize Laureate, and Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed Ali. The resulting body of work captures not only Ali himself, but provides an intimate portrait of the humanitarian results that he has achieved.
Also showcased in the exhibition are prints by seven of Ethiopia’s most prominent photographers. Together, the collection curated by Ethiopian-born Canon Ambassador Aida Muluneh, illustrates the huge transition the country has been through.
I had the pleasure of collaborating with the Nobel Peace Center as the exhibition was preparing for its grand opening to produce a film that gives an insight into Canon and Studio Technika’s involvement with this wonderful cause. The video shoot was a truly multinational affair, as we succeeded in bringing together representatives from across the UK, Ireland, Ethiopia and crew from Italy at the same time in Norway. The result reveals the great things that can happen when photographers, curators and printers work closely together, as well as illustrating the vital links that Canon provides in the imaging chain.We shot the whole printing process – from file preparation to final sign-off – at Studio Technika in Oslo, revealing how the capabilities of the imagePROGRAF PRO-6000 combined with the skill of Studio Technika’s operator does justice to the amazing source material. Even the curator of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize exhibition accepted our invitation to contribute, providing a fascinating insight into the photographs and how to analyse the quality of the prints.
Being given permission to film inside the Nobel Peace Center itself was a huge achievement for us, as it marks the first time a multi-national digital imaging company has been allowed to do so. A former railway station in the heart of Oslo, the building’s Italian architecture provides a fitting backdrop to the incredible images on show, and we spent two days recording interviews about the history of Nobel, the printed portraits and what it means to the photographers to work with Canon and have their work on display.
The exhibition, Crossroads Ethiopia, is now open to the public and will run until 21 November 2020. I am sure the images will inspire the next generation of photographers and print enthusiasts. This is just the beginning of our relationship with the Nobel Peace Center and we look forward to offering our support in the years to come.
You can watch The Nobel Peace Prize Exhibition: Behind the scenes video here
