“Their experimental approach expands what photography is and how we experience it,” says Anne-Marie Beckmann, director of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation, concerning the work of artist Rene Matić.
Now Matić – primarily based in London, England – has been introduced because the winner of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2026 for the exhibition As Opposed To The Truth (which the artist stylizes in all caps).
Founded in 1996 by The Photographers’ Gallery, the Prize honors main contributions to modern images in Europe over the previous yr.
Rooted in themes of id, belonging, subculture, class and household, Matić’s physique of labor presents a diaristic portrait of life in Britain. Shot in a snapshot-like photographic type, it captures the quiet poetry of on a regular basis life with a way of intimacy and remark.
“Their photography captures everyday life with tenderness and intimacy,” Beckmann provides.
“The importance of chosen family and community shines through. Rene’s photographs celebrate the togetherness of people – whether they are laughing, kissing or partying.”
As Opposed To The Truth
The exhibition extends beyond photography to include installation and sound, with Matić combining images, found objects, film and audio into a layered portrait of contemporary life.
Matić’s practise spans photography, film and sculpture, coming together in what they describe as a space of ‘rude(ness)’ – a focus on the in-between.
Set against a context of rising right-wing populism and performative compassion, the work turns to interpersonal relationships as sites of resistance and care, exploring how people hold onto one another and live with vulnerability in relation to dominant ‘truths.’
Feelings Wheel, 2024 – 2025
Image credit: © Rene Matić. Courtesy the Artist and Arcadia Missa, London.
Feelings Wheel, 2024 – 2025
Image credit: © Rene Matić. Courtesy the Artist and Arcadia Missa, London.
In As Opposed To The Truth, intimacy, desire and vulnerability function as tools for survival.
“Rene’s deeply personal work is rooted in community and belonging – and their power both to heal and bring people together,” says Shoair Mavlian, director of The Photographers’ Gallery and chair of the jury.
“Rene’s raw and honest photographs bring a story of Britain today to audiences outside the UK.”
Matić wins £30,000 (approximately $40,200 / AU$55,00) and their award-winning project – as well as this year’s shortlisted works from Jane Evelyn Atwood, Weronika Gęsicka, and Amak Mahmoodian – is on show at the Photographers’ Gallery in London until June 07 2026.
For more information, visit the Photographer’s Gallery website.
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