“GRAND PRIX: A PHOTOGRAPHER FOR EURAZEO” HANS SILVESTER WINS THE 5^TH EDITION

PARIS, JANUARY 12, 2015 -The Grand Prix jury, mainly comprising twelve individuals from the word of art and photography, and presided by Jean-François Camp, Chairman of the photo laboratory Central Dupon Images, has designated a winner for the competition’s fifth edition.  From the many impressive submissions based on the theme, “The Decisive Moment,” the jury has chosen the work of Hans Silvester.

In addition to the prize, Hans Silvester will have his work exhibited at the Espace Central Dupon Images, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, from January 29 to February 27, 2015.

Hans Silvester is a professional photographer who was born in Lörrach, Germany. A graduate of the School of Fribourg and globetrotter, he has produced a series of reportages, particularly on environmental themes. He has also been a wildlife photographer. In recent years, he has captured the daily lives of desert women and the tribes inhabiting the Omo valley in Ethiopia.

With respect to the series he submitted to the Grand Prixcompetition, Hans Silvester declared that “The decisive moment is being there at the right time. I could not have captured these men, women and children in the Omo valley, who live in a far gone time, if I had not been a part of their daily lives. It took no less than 33 trips to photograph these fleeting moments!”

The jury also designated Aude Sirvain, who was a finalist in 2012, as a Jury favorite, whose talent and sensitivity again merited special attention.

In the words of Jean-François Camp, Jury Chairman, “The decisive moment means the specific instant when everything falls into place: the light, the composition, the expression and the emotion in addition to the talent, all the factors that will produce a memorable photo. Hans Silvester won because his work was able to fuse all these dimensions.”

For Patrick Sayer, Chairman of the Eurazeo Executive Board, “Emotion is that soulful moment inspired by a photograph when the combination of time, light, space and subject matter is optimal. Eurazeo has promoted this art form over the last five years and is pleased to reward the work of a great artist-photographer.”

About Eurazeo

With a diversified portfolio of nearly 5 billion euros in assets, Eurazeo is one of the leading listed investment companies in Europe. Its purpose and mission is to identify, accelerate and enhance the transformation potential of the companies in which it invests. The Company covers most private equity segments through its four business divisions – Eurazeo Capital, Eurazeo Croissance, Eurazeo PME and Eurazeo Patrimoine. Its solid institutional and family shareholder base, sound financial position, lack of structural debt and flexible investment horizon enable Eurazeo to support its companies over the long term. Eurazeo is notably either a majority or key shareholder in Accor, ANF Immobilier, Asmodee, Desigual, Elis, Europcar, Foncia, Moncler, and smaller companies such as IES Synergy, Fonroche Energie and the Eurazeo PME investments.

Eurazeo is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris.