Organizers of Foam Paul Huf Award Responded to the Petition That Asks to Reconsider the Results of the Contest

The organizers of the international Foam Paul Huf Award responded to the online petition that asks to reconsider the result of the most recent contest, won by Romain Mader of Switzerland, It’s Nice That writes.

Many considered his series, Ekaterina, which tells the story of the lonely sex tourist who went to Ukraine in search for a wife, and the author was accused of promoting offensive stereotypes and misogyny.

The letter, addressed to the authors of the petition, signed by dozens of photographers, journalists, and artists from different countries, says that Foam Paul Huf Award will not be reconsidering its decision, and Romain Mader will remain the winner of the contest.

“While we accept that Mader’s work is not for everyone, we the members of the jury also respectfully suggest that not all art has to be subject to broad consensus. Most of the art all of us care about invites disagreement,” the organizers said.

According to them, Romain Mader took on a risky task — investigate a difficult topic of women exploitation in the Eastern Europe in an unexpected way, with satire. “It makes no claim to be a work of documentary or journalism. The main target was Mader himself, in the role of the foolish and oblivious Western European.”

“The five members of the jury found the project visually compelling, skillfully photographed, and both provocative and unsettling. We very much respect the right of every individual to form and express their own opinions about the work. However, we stand by the decision of our independent and highly respected jury,” the organizers said.