Jury - Industry's leading galleries, curators, publishers, editors and art directors

For nineteen years International Color Awards has been committed to bringing you world-class Juries selected from the most influential names in the industry. Annually a new jury pool is created to ensure the program's reputation for recognizing first-movers, new emerging talent and current trends across the industry. Jury members are selected by exclusive invitation to join the international panel and sent ballots to log on, review the entries and make their nomination selections. Only by having the greatest talent from both sides of the lens do we produce the intoxicating and diverse collections of color photography the program is renowned around the globe for showcasing.

19TH ANNUAL JURY

THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM - Los Angeles

James A. Ganz, Senior Curator of Photographs, Head of Department

James A. Ganz is the Senior Curator of Photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Previously he was Curator of the Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts at the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, and Manton Curator of Prints, Drawings and Photographs at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Ganz has a PhD in art history from Yale University. The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center features works of art dating from the eighth through the twenty-first century, showcased against a backdrop of dramatic architecture, tranquil gardens, and breathtaking views of Los Angeles. The collection includes European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European, Asian, and American photographs.

CAMERA WORK - Berlin

Alexander Golya, Gallery Director

Camera Work Gallery was founded in 1997 in Berlin and has since then become one of the world's leading galleries for photographic art. With its historically coined gallery name, the gallery has always followed the philosophy to represent, next to world famous classic photographers such as Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, Peter Lindbergh, Patrick Demarchelier, Helmut Newton, Irving Penn, Man Ray, Herb Ritts, and Albert Watson and contemporary artists to manifest the position of photography as an independent genre within visual art and to give room to new positions. The Gallery exclusively represents many prominent contemporary artists in Germany, Europe and around the world such as David Yarrow, Jean-Baptiste Huynh, Olaf Heine, Russell James, Robert Polidori, Eugenio Recuenco, Martin Schoeller, Dean West, and Christian Tagliavini. Camera Work regularly participates in the major international photography and art fairs, such as Art Central Hong Kong, Zona Maco in Mexico City, Paris Photo, and Photo London.

MICHAEL KORS - New York

Dalibor Porcic, Director, Global Visual Merchandising

Dalibor Porcic is Director of Global Visual Merchandising at Michael Kors, a world-renowned, award-winning designer of luxury accessories and ready-to-wear designer fashion. Michael Kors stores are operated in some of the most prestigious cities in the world, including New York, Los Angeles, London, Milan, Paris, Munich, Dubai, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Rio de Janeiro. The company prides itself on hiring and retaining diverse talent and providing an inclusive work environment for all, while celebrating global events and cultures that reflect the diversity, experiences and perspectives of people around the world. Wholly dedicated to a vision of style that is as sophisticated as it is indulgent, as iconic as it is modern, Michael Kors is an enduring luxury lifestyle empire with a global reach.

NETFLIX - Los Angeles

Venti Hristova - Creative Director

For the past 5 years I have been part of an incredible innovation team at Netflix - Creative labs. Everyday, every month, every year is an adventure in risk-taking, pushing boundaries, growing and pivoting. I love the opportunities I have gotten, the people I work with and the experience I have received. Before joining a global team of extraordinary creatives, strategists and innovation-thrill-seekers, I was in VFX for a very long time and I spent time working in an advertising agency. My career trajectory started as a designer / animator / compositor and then evolved to VFX supervisor, senior art director and now creative director leading experimental promotional experiences on product and beyond. I also just spent a year in Singapore, building relationships across the business, running creative workshops and creating innovation initiatives. Venti Hristova has worked on many films such as Terminator Salvation, Avatar and Iron Man 2, Speed Racer, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 and Spider-Man: Homecoming.

CONDE NAST TRAVELLER - London

Rebecca Douglas-Home, Picture Editor / Shoot Producer

Rebecca Douglas-Home was born in London and grew up in Edinburgh. She studied photography at Glasgow School of Art and has worked as a picture editor & researcher on publications including The Daily & Sunday Telegraph newspapers, Telegraph Magazine, Stella, The Economist, New Scientist, Conde Nast Traveller, ES Magazine, The Daily Mail and the Financial Times.

GRONINGER MUSEUM - Netherlands

Marlon Steensma, Head of Collections

The Groninger Museum is an art museum in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. The museum exhibits modern and contemporary art of local, national, and international artists. The museum opened in 1874. The current post-modernist building consists of three main pavilions designed individually by architects Philippe Starck, Alessandro Mendini, Coop Himmelb(l)au, and was completed in 1994. Since 2008, it has had 173,000 to 292,000 visitors per year, the highest amount of any museum in the province of Groningen.

APARTHEID MUSEUM - Johannesburg

Christopher Till, Director

Christopher Till is the founding and current Director of the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg and has organised exhibitions on Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko, Oliver Tambo, George Bizos and the Women's March among many others. He began his career at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in 1977, becoming Director in 1980 before serving as Director of the Johannesburg Art Gallery from 1983 to 1991. During his tenure he was responsible for several ground breaking exhibitions, including The Neglected Tradition: Towards a New History of South African Art, secured the Brenthurst Collection of African Art, and commissioned several major sculptures for the collection. As Director of Culture for the City of Johannesburg from 1991 to 2001, he established the city's first cultural office and directed the formation of arts and culture policy. He was responsible for establishing the Johannesburg Arts Alive International Festival in 1992, and the Johannesburg Biennales in 1995/1997 and the re-building of the Civic Theatre (now Joburg Theatre). He is a founding board member of the International Council of Museums Fine Art Committee (ICOM) and a member of the International Committee for Exhibitions and Exchange and Chairman of the Cape Town Triennial Organising Committee. He is currently the principal driver in the development of the Mandela Capture Site in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal with its new museum and renowned sculpture of Mr Mandela by Marco Cianfanelli. In 2018, Christopher received the USIBA (Creative and Cultural Industries) Award in in the Heritage & Museum category awarded by Minister Nathi Mthethwa: Department Arts & Culture South Africa.

MUSEO D'ARTE MODERNA DI BOLOGNA (MAMbo) - Bologna

Lorenzo Balbi, Director

MAMbo - Museum of Modern Art of Bologna is housed in a building built in 1915 and was used as a municipal bakery to deal with the supply difficulties of the citizens of Bologna during the First World War, the museum began in the early nineties with the recovery and consolidation of the building. The new exhibition space was inaugurated on 5 May 2007and the collections that belonged to the former Gallery of Modern Art in Bologna were transferred to the MAMbo. The exhibition itinerary is currently divided into nine thematic areas (Art and Ideology, 1977 Art and Action, 1968 New Perspectives, 1968 Arte Povera, Forma 1, L'Informale, Arcangeli: l'ultimo naturalismo, Focus on Contemporary Italian Art, new acquisitions ), which document some of the most innovative aspects of artistic practice from the second half of the twentieth century until today, seen through the experience of the former Gallery of Modern Art.

KUNSTBROKER - Switzerland

Gabriel S. R. Mueller, Managing Director

Gabriel S.R. Muller is founder and owner of Kunstbroker online antiquarian and art dealer for rare photographs, books, graphics and posters. The focus is on: historical photographs, vintage prints, contemporary photography, artist books, modern & illustrated literature, catalogs raisonnes, signed original prints and artist posters. We regularly buy selected individual pieces, estates and even entire collections. Mr. Muller began his career in the world of art and antiques trading over 15 years ago at the internationally renowned auction house Koller Auktionen AG. As head of the photography department and specialist for books, manuscripts and autographs, he actively supervised more than 60 auctions. The trained art historian with a focus on photography has broad and technically sound knowledge thanks to his over 20 years of knowledge of the history, techniques and processes of the medium.

MEDIAMONKS - Berlin

Fedja Kehl, Creative Director

Fedja Kehl leads a creative team for BMW at Media.Monks, developing concepts for Integrated campaigns for social media, corporate Identities, TV commercials and Implementing photolooks. Award Honors include: Cannes Lion Gold, Cannes Lion Silver, ADC Awards, Cresta Silver, LIAA Finalist, Epica Silver, Clio Silver, New York Festivals Silver, The One Show Merit and Eurobest Shortlists. Media.Monks is a digital-first marketing, advertising, and technology services company that connects content, data and digital media and technology services and produces websites, games, films, social media content, digital advertising campaigns, data and measurement solutions and more.

CHUNG 24 GALLERY - San Francisco

Diane Chung, Owner & Gallery Director

Chung 24 Gallery program seeks to nurture emerging talent, showcase new works by established artists and investigate photography-based art practices. The gallery's goal is to make art accessible by introducing patrons to artists with innovative visions and differing voices who are at various stages of their careers; to create a physical space for encounters between artists and their future collectors; to engage the public in conversations about the pieces and in discovering the unique processes and methods of these talented artists. It is about the love of art, the passion and joy one feels when one finds that perfect piece and the yearning for more.

SIERBEELD IMAGEMAKERS - Netherlands

Ab Sier, Founder/Director

Ab Sier is Founder and Director of Sierbeeld Imagemakers based in the Netherlands and former Ambassador of The Dutch School of Photography.

CAROLINE GENTSCH - Brussels

Caroline Gentsch, Contemporary Art Specialist & Advisory

Caroline Gentsch has been working in the contemporary art field since 1994. Starting as an assistant and later as Director of Elisabeth Franck and Vedovi Art Galleries, collaborating with Marie-Christine Gennart and leading artists such as Tony Cragg, Giuseppe Penone, Olafur Eliasson. Ms. Gentsch has directed several public art institutions in Brussels and through this work developed not only an extensive knowledge in the Contemporary Art world but I also numerous connections with artists, institutions, art theorists, curators and collectors worldwide. Working as an independant expert for the European Commission and for the French Community of Belgium. Assigned to develop the opportunities and modalities concerning a European Program for the sector of visual art: the project was a process between art professionals who share their interests, values and passions in ongoing collaborations with an international network of artists, both established and emerging and curators, collectors, galleries and museums. Since 2010 she has worked in the Auction House world, first with Pierre Berge & Associates and with Bonhams-Cornette de Saint-Cyr. Ms. Gentsch is dedicated to building bridges between art history, market value and philanthropy.

MOKREVA - Germany

Savina Mokreva, Founder/Creative Director

As a Creative Director Art, Savina has led creative teams to develop unique and impactful concepts for a diverse range of clients, including O2, Netflix, Facebook, Vodafone, and Booking.com, among more than 20 others. With over 15 years of experience, she has spearheaded integrated campaigns with a strong focus on digital and ATL, while also executing interactive stunts, high-engagement events, and traditional media projects, together with Paid Social and Social First campaigns. Her work has been recognised with multiple prestigious awards, including Cannes Lions, One Show, Clios, LIA, ADC, D&AD, NYF, and Red Dot. Aside from work, Savina mentors at the renowned Miami Ad School Europe. She is passionate about creating meaningful and engaging stories that connect with audiences and drive positive change; and is always eager to learn new things, collaborate with diverse teams, and challenge herself to grow as a creative professional.

JOHN LIN - New York

John Lin, Creative Director

Client projects (fashion): Anne Klein, Ann Taylor, Armani Exchange, Aveda, BCBG Max Azria, CFDA/7th on Sixth: FashionWeek, Club Monaco, Dana Buchman, Dolce Gabbana, Esprit, Ellen Von Unwerth, Emanuel, Fila, ICB/Kors, John Bartlett, Jones New York, Kelly Klein, The Limited, Narciso Rodriguez, Todd Oldham, Tommy Hilfiger, Valentino, Versace, Yohji Yamamoto. Other clients: Arista Records, Bacardi, Blender Magazine (promotions), Evian, Fila, GenArt, Kinky-NYC, Nike, Rodale Publications, Sprint, Star-Trak, Stussy, Supreme; Annie Leibovitz Photography, Steven Meisel Photography. Magazines: Allure, Big, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Interview, Jane, Mademoiselle, Marie Claire, Maxim, Maxim goes to the Movies, Men's Health, Newsweek, PN (Moscow), Spin, Rolling Stone, Self, US Weekly, Vogue.

DUDA PROPAGANDA - Warsaw

Tiago Pinto, Creative Director

Tiago Pinto is an advertising creative from Lisbon, Portugal devoted to create brand experiences that place brands on people's sweet spot. His work as an art director includes campaigns for cars to pharmaceuticals, cigarettes to liquor brands and retail, on agencies such as McCann Portugal, StrawberryFrog Amsterdam, G2 Amsterdam (Grey Group) and Duda Portugal. Tiago's work has been awarded and recognized at Caples International Awards (NY), Golden Award of Montreux (CH) and the Portuguese Creative Club, amongst others. He's proud to have seen his personal work hanging on the walls of galleries from Belgium to the UK and USA.

AB INBEV - South Africa

Karl Rapp, Executive Creative Director

Anheuser-Busch InBev commonly known as AB InBev is a US-Belgian-Brazilian multinational drink and brewing company based in Leuven, Belgium and is the largest brewer in the world. In 2023, the company was ranked 72nd in the Forbes Global 2000. Additionally, AB InBev has a global functional management office in New York City, and regional headquarters in Sao Paulo, London, St. Louis, Mexico City, Bremen, Johannesburg, and others. It has approximately 630 beer brands in 150 countries.

DR. THOMAS ELSEN - Germany

Dr.Thomas Elsen, Photography Curator & Author

Dr.Thomas Elsen studied art history, philosophy and theology at the University of Bonn. He was a scholarship holder of the German Academic Exchange Service, DAAD, at the Institute of Art History in Florence/Max-Planck-Institute where he obtained his PhD. Since then, Thomas Elsen has been actively working for the Kolnischer Kunstverein art museum in Cologne and the Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz art museum in Chemnitz. In 1996 he founded the concept of the Neue Galerie im Hohmannhaus, a new project space for contemporary art for the Art Collections and Museums of Augsburg, after having started working there as a curator the year before. He also drafted the H2 - Center for Contemporary Art in the Glass Palace, which was opened in 2006. Recent exhibitions in both spaces include Behind Landscape (with Jaakko Heikkila, Anastasia Khoroshilova, Trevor Paglen et al, 2012), Portraits d'artistes: Edward Steichen - Jean Noel Schramm (2014), A Process - 'Der Greif' photography magazine (2014), Faces of Disappearance (with Sophie Calle, Larry Sultan, Olaf Unverzart et al, 2015/16), Not Here Yet, together with Celina Lunsford (with Alberto Garcia Alix, Maurizio Cattelan, Hamish Fulton, Ferit Kuyas et al, 2016/17), Vanitas Contemporary (with Benjamin Appel, Gloria Friedmann, Herlinde Koelbl et al); he furthermore curated exhibitions within the European Month of Photography EMOP, Berlin (2012), Dusseldorf Photo Weekend (2013), Tashkent Photo Biennale (2014), and has been a board member/professional reviewer with international juries (ars viva, Berlin; Fresh Paint Artist's Greenhouse, Tel Aviv; FotoFest, Houston, Meeting Place, Paris et al). Since 2012 he has been a member of the German Photographic Academy, Deutsche Fotografische Akademie DFA.

PHOTO GALLERY INTERNATIONAL PGI - Tokyo

Sayaka Takahashi, Director

PGI, which is Japan's longest continuously operating commercial photography gallery, specializing in twentieth century Western photography. Sayaka Takahashi is the director of PGI. She studied under the photography critic Osamu Hiraki at Waseda University. In 1998, she participated in the Higashikawa International Photo Festival as a volunteer, and from this experience she developed an interest in curating, conservation and installation. Began working in the field of photography at PGI a gallery in Tokyo this year in its department of conservation, framing and installation. Between 2003 and 2010, she worked for the Higashikawa International Photo Festival as an assistant director. Since 2010, she started her career as the director of PGI, she has worked with many of the most celebrated post-war photographers - in particular Yasuhiro Ishimoto, Kikuji Kawada. She is placing emphasis on introducing Japanese photography to the world and on finding new talent. She is the one of the members of the board of directors of the Fine-Art Photography Association (FAPA) and a committee of the Daikanyama Photo Fair, an event organized by FAPA.

BIGAIGNON GALERIE - Paris

Thierry Bigaignon, Founder/Director

Bigaignon is a Paris-based contemporary art gallery. The line of the gallery finds its roots in the avant-garde movements of minimalism, conceptual art, light & space, abstract art, and in the fields of experimental & conceptual photography for which it has been playing a leading role for almost 10 years. Profoundly engaged in the promotion of artists who work the fundamental elements of light, space and time, whatever the medium they use, the gallery is contributing to the rise of a new avant-garde. As such, with a strong international focus, the gallery defends and promotes the unique vision of artists it represents or supports, whether they be emerging, mid-career or established worldwide, in their quest to propose a new visual vocabulary, to foster a radical approach to art, to challenge their own medium and to explore the full extent of its possibilities. To enable collectors and visitors to the Paris gallery to discover some of the works previously exhibited, or yet to be shown, the gallery has created a dedicated space called La Reserve. And in addition to its magnificent glass-roofed exhibition space in Paris's Marais district, the gallery boasts a one-of-a-kind boutique, the first fully curated bookstore, which has in turn hosted book selections from various art world personalities (critics, curators, publishers, artists and collectors). The gallery also began publishing in 2024. The gallery is present at international art fairs (Art Paris, Art Brussels, Paris Photo, Offscreen, etc.), as well as on Artsy, the world's leading art marketplace, and is a member of the CPGA (Comite Professionnel des Galeries d'Art), the French association for art galleries.