LensCulture winners frame German far-right rise and China's slowdown

The 2026 LensCulture critics' choice awards, selected by a panel of 19 photography experts, were announced on Tuesday. Though the international competition imposes no thematic restrictions on its entrants, this year's standout projects collectively serve as a visual barometer for pressing socio-economic and political anxieties across Europe and beyond.

Ashkan Shabani’s project, The Quiet Rise, offers a direct look at a growing domestic concern. Photographed across Germany between 2024 and 2025, the series documents how neo-Nazi and far-right groups have moved beyond the margins. Shabani captures how these networks openly perform their ideology through symbols, language, and coordinated public actions, illustrating the normalisation of extremist movements within contemporary German society.

Economic and environmental fragility feature prominently among the selections. Yue Sun’s Muted Ember focuses on younger generations in Wuhai, a city in Inner Mongolia facing the depletion of its coal resources. As the local government attempts a difficult transition to a tourism-based economy, Sun documents failed projects and the uncertainty facing youth in a nation where the economy no longer guarantees steady improvement.

Migration and geopolitical shifts also anchor the winning works. Guanyu Xu’s Resident Aliens reconstructs the interiors of immigrants to explore their complex histories, a project the artist notes resonates "in the face of rising neo-nationalism and xenophobia." Valentina Sinis documents female Kurdish guerrillas from Iran, a timely subject given the recent ceasefire declared by the Kurdistan Workers' party and the dissolution of its armed structures.

Closer to home, Adam Lin’s Sonder examines Taiwanese masculinity set between London and Taichung, while Mattia Corato’s Along the River Lea captures the cultural diversity of east London's waterways. The editorial panel praised the depth of the selections. LensCulture editor in chief Jim Casper noted the winning images are "loaded with details that make the viewing experience more and more rewarding the longer you look," while Fiona Shields of the Guardian highlighted another series for making a "serious point about how underappreciated parental effort can be."