Gregor Sailer wins 2026 Paul Flora Prize

Tyrolean photographic artist Gregor Sailer received the 2026 Paul Flora Prize on Monday evening, according to ORF. The 10,000 euro award was presented at Taxispalais Kunsthalle Tirol, an art hall, by Tyrol Governor and culture official Anton Mattle and South Tyrol Culture Councillor Philipp Achammer.

The jury said Sailer had gained international recognition through long-term photographic projects documenting difficult-to-access locations with an analogue large-format camera. His subjects include simulated cities used for military training, isolated research stations in the Arctic and artificial intelligence controlled production facilities.

His best known series include Closed Cities, The Potemkin Village and The Polar Silk Road. His work has been shown at the Natural History Museum in London and the Rencontres d’Arles photography festival. In 2022, Kunsthaus Wien held a comprehensive retrospective of his work.

His latest project, Cockaigne, was recently shown at the Natural History Museum in Vienna. It examines the future of global food supplies in the face of the climate crisis and population growth.

The jury said Sailer’s work dissolved the boundaries between art, science and documentation while focusing attention on issues of social importance. Mattle said the photographs encouraged reflection and showed how art could build bridges between regions and people.

Achammer praised Sailer for consistently pursuing his own photographic perspective while making places and developments visible that would otherwise receive little attention. He described the images as precise and compelling, saying they raised questions extending beyond the individual subject.