The theme of the third Prix Pictet is Growth.

At once a blessing and a curse, growth, in all

its forms, is one of the great conundrums

facing humanity in the early decades of

the twenty-first century. From the dizzying

expansion of our cities with their ever

increasing consumption of scarce natural

resources to the relentless growth of

populations and the need to feed ourselves.

So growth is a paradox. Just as it threatens

to bring environmental catastrophe, so it

improves living standards and health for

untold millions around the world. We now

face a global crisis in land use and agriculture

that could undermine the health, security and

sustainability of our civilisation. Meeting these

huge new demands will be one of the greatest

challenges of the twenty-first century.

This paradoxical theme has proved to be a

rich source of inspiration to the artists and

nominators of the third cycle of the Prix Pictet.

Over 450 nominated artists submitted many

outstanding images that communicated

powerful messages about the devastating

impact of unsustainable human enterprise.

After much debate, the independent

Jury shortlisted twelve artists from eight

different countries for the third Prix Pictet.

In shortlisting these photographers, it is

inevitable that some remarkable individual

images from other photographers have

been excluded.

This book brings many of these photographs

together with those made by the shortlisted

photographers and, in doing so, presents a

haunting testament to the consequences of

a headlong dash for growth. Taken together

they constitute a compelling call for action.

As Kofi Annan, the Prix Pictet's Honorary

President, has said, "These images deepen

our understanding of the changes taking

place in our world, raise public awareness

of the scale of the threat we face and the

urgency of taking preventative action."

The skill, imagination and mastery of form

that each of the artists featured in this

book brings to their work speaks for itself.

What is less obvious is the conviction and,

in many cases, the courage with which they

have documented the harmful and often

irreversible effects of exploiting the Earth's

resources and the long-term impact of

unsustainable development on communities

across the globe. It is these qualities too that

Growth intends to recognise. In the words of

photographer, critic and Prix Pictet nominator

Jörg M. Colberg, "This is not art for art's sake;

it is art for our own sake."