WINNERS
La Vallée De La Stupeur/The Valley of Stupefaction
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PhotographerLaurent Loubet Guiter, France
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PrizeSilver Winner in Fine Art/Experimental
The Valley of Stupefaction is inspired by the famous 12th-century Sufi tale, "The Conference of the Birds." This foundational text of Persian culture recounts how the birds embarked on a quest to find a mythical bird, the Simorgh, and take it as their king. At the end of a mystical and existential odyssey, they discover that the Simorgh is none other than themselves: "The sun of my majesty is a mirror. He who sees himself in this mirror sees his soul and his body." In this quest, the birds traverse seven valleys, including the Valley of Stupefaction, which inspired this series of photographs.
