The New Zealand artist nominated for one of the world's most prestigious art awards, has just been awarded the £30,000 Deutsche Börse photography prize
Luke Willis Thompson / Gallery view of Luke Willis Thompson's Autoportrait Photo: Supplied / Andy Keate
Luke Willis Thompson's winning piece Autoportrait is a collaboration with US woman Diamond Reynolds, who livestreamed the moments that immediately followed the fatal shooting of her partner Philando Castile, following a traffic-stop.
Castile - a black 32-year-old school cafetaria worker - was fatally shot by police officer Jeronimo Yanez, who was later aquitted of manslaughter.
Thompson established a conversation with Reynolds, and her lawyer, in November 2016 and the result of the process that followed is a 35mm film is a silent portrait of Reynolds that aims to act as a 'sister-image' to her livestream video.
The Deutsche Börse photography prize is awarded to a living artist who has made the most significant contribution to photography in Europe in the previous year.
Thompson, who now lives and works in London, was shortlisted for the prize alongside Mathieu Asselin, Rafal Milach and Batia Suter.
In 2014, Thompson won New Zealand's top art award, the Walters Prize, with his work that took gallery visitors on a mystery taxi ride.
The artist is also shortlisted for the Turner Prize - for Autoportrait - the winner of which, will be announced in December.
