Located in the Plateforme 10 arts district in Lausanne, Photo Elysee boasts one of the largest and most varied collections of photographs in the world. To date it has established itself as a benchmark among photography museums for almost 40 years, with an active international presence.

The Prix Elysee

Driven by the desire to make an active contribution to developing the careers of photographers from every generation, the museum, directed by Nathalie Herschdorfer, supports contemporary creation in particular with the Prix Elysee.

A curator, art and photography historian, Nathalie Herschdorfer has been directing the Cantonal Museum for Photography, Photo Elysee, since 2022. She regularly appears on an international level as a curator and speaker. She is also the author of many books on photography. “Supporting different generations of photographers is one of the essential missions we’ve set ourselves,” says Herschdorfer.

A Lens On Talent

This November, discover the work of the eight photographers nominated for the Prix Elysee 2025 at Paris Photo, where Photo Elysee is taking up residence as an institutional partner. Since it was launched in 2014, the Prix Elysee has been awarded to five photographers: Martin Kollar, Matthias Bruggmann, Luis Carlos Tovar, Kurt Tong and Debi Cornwall.

Winner in 2023 for her project Model Citizens, Debi Cornwall presented her work in a book  published by Radius Books and Textuel, and  showcased it in a highly acclaimed exhibition at the Rencontres d’Arles.

Developing Projects

This biennial prize, worth CHF 80,000, rewards a mid-career photographer for an original series.  In 2024, eight photographers, selected from among more than 750 applications from all over the world, each received the sum of CHF 5,000 to launch their project: Hannah Darabi, Roger Eberhard, Rahim Fortune, Camille Gharbi, Samuel Gratacap, Seif Kousmate, Felipe Romero Beltrán and Anastasia Samoylova.

An international jury will select the winner in 2025, who will have one year to complete her or his project and publish a book. The Prix Elysée is the result of an exclusive partnership with Parmigiani Fleurier.