SELF PUBLISH RIGA 2016 TOP 10

10 contest finalists selected by our jury Erik Kessels, Gordon MacDonald, Hester Keijser, Vincent Marcilhacy and Tom Mrazauskas from over 170 books submitted:

Vojtěch Veškrna (CZ) - My Air Force (First Prize winner)
Hester Keijser on Vojtěch Veškrna's My Air Force : 
Without mention of author or title on the cover, the first thing you read when opening the book is a dedication to a certain Ondrej Fisher, "who left this earth in 2015". This way, the friend, in his absence, becomes the main character in My Air Force. The book talks equally about death, the dream of flying and the emotional bonds that exist between family and friends - of which Veskrna says it is what keeps him flying even if he is on the ground.
After several voting rounds and applying utmost scrutiny to all the contenders, the jury unanimously selected My Air Force as the winner of Self Publish Riga Award. It's a well rounded, fleet-footed book that will speak to an audience beyond those with an interest in photography: it has text to read, stories to piece together, deeper layers that draw on myths, and bit of mysteries that will never be resolved - all carried by a very precise use of photographs, both his own and ones taken from archives. To achieve such a balance in the editing requires delicacy and sensitivity, and Veskrna demonstrates to have both.

Anton Velichko (RU) - MY FRIEND  (Jury Special Mention)
Erik Kessels on Anton Velichko's MY FRIEND: 
Is a very touching publication on distance memories of two friends. Their friendship will maybe dissolve after both of them follow different paths in their life. The book deserves a special mention by the jury, not only because it created the most intense discussions, but also because as a simple flipbook it evokes a lot of emotion. It’s not always important how beautiful a photo book is executed, but how a certain story is told. In this case a very small, but touching story between two friends.
The jury likes to congratulate Anton Velichko with telling this story and making the smallest book entered in the competition into something really monumental and memorable.

Czar Kristoff Portin (PH) - Configurations

Dieter De Lathauwer (BE) - I loved my wife (killing children is good for the economy)

Ilyas Hajji (RU) - Anti/terror

Johannes Fiola (DE) - Prosfygika - A Social Experiment

Kapil Das (IN) - Rapunzel

Lewis Bush (UK) - Numbers in the Dark

Maria Kapajeva (UK) - Reading Apocrypha

Mary Hamill (IR) - Semper Augustus

 

SELF PUBLISH RIGA 2016 shortlisted dummies 

38 dummies selected by the Jury to be presented at the SELF PUBLISH RIGA exhibition at the Latvian Railway History Museum, Riga: 

Adina Ionescu Muscel (Belgium) - Getting the extra beating heart out of my chest 
Anastasia Bogomolova (Russia) - Lookbook 
Anton Velichko (Russia) - MY FRIEND  
Czar Kristoff Portin (Philippines) - Configurations 
Diego Mayon (Italy) - Grey Grass 
Dieter De Lathauwer (Belgium) - I loved my wife (killing children is good for the economy) 
Elaine Miller (USA) - Paradise: Lost 
Erik Slot (The Netherlands) - Walls Vodka Lies 
Eva Saukāne (Latvia) - The Roots (Audience Favorite!)
Florian Rainer (Austria) - Light rail 
Hiroshi Okamoto (Japan ) - Recruit 
Hristina Thaseva (The Netherlands) - The Woman with the Brown Hair 
Ikuru Kuwajima (Russia) - Volga After Volga 
Ilyas Hajji (Russia) - Anti/terror 
Joachim Bogedal (Sweden) - Light + shape = Object 
Johannes Fiola (Germany) - Prosfygika - A Social Experiment 
John MacLean (UK) - Hometowns 
Jolanta Dolewska (Scotland/UK) - Reservoir 
Kapil Das (India) - Lumpy Gravy 
Kapil Das (india) - Rapunzel 
Laura Van Severen (Belgium) - Land 
Lena Jakubčakova (Slovakia) - In Seclusion/File 44 
Lewis Bush (UK) - Numbers in the Dark 
Louis De Belle (Germany) - Besides Faith 
Maki Hayashida (Japan) - The Pacific Tourist 
Maria Kapajeva (UK) - Reading Apocrypha 
Mary Hamill (Ireland) - Semper Augustus 
Matthieu Litt (Belgium) - Horsehead Nebula 
Miyuki Okuyama (The Netherlands) - Land of the setting sun 
Natalia Kopkina (Finland) - MA- 
Nicholas Pollack (USA) - Nothing gold can stay 
Oliver Krebeck (Germany) - TRIP 
Sara Palmieri (Italy) - La plume plongea la tete 
Tine Bek Hansen (Scotland) - BAROK 
Uldis Balga (Latvia) - Radiators (Nine ribs) 
Valentino Bellini, Eileen Quinn (Italy) - Limbo 
Voijtech Veskrna (Czech Republic) - My Air Force 
Yuri Gudkov (Russia) - Keep an eye on what you see