Swiss photographer Vincent Jendly has been awarded the 2025 Booksellers' Prize for Photography Books for his work "One Millimeter of Black Dirt and a Veil of Dead Cows," published by André Frère Editions. The third edition of this prestigious award, presented by a jury of independent booksellers assembled by France PhotoBook, recognizes Jendly's rare perspective as a photographer who transforms industrial landscapes into sensory experiences.
Between 2021 and 2022, Jendly immersed himself in the industrial zone of Dunkirk port to capture what he describes as the "entrails" of these sites, often presented as metal cathedrals. The photographer used a Fujifilm GFX 100 medium format camera to create this compelling body of work that explores the material essence of our industrial world.
Jendly's deliberate use of stark black and white photography pays homage to what the book describes as "the territory of the Anthropocene" – a term that describes the geological period when human influence on the planet becomes visibly measurable. His images don't seek to tell a narrative story; instead, they probe the very substance of industrial matter. Steel, steam, dust, and bursts of light become the elements through which the Swiss photographer composes an almost tactile visual language.
In Jendly's photographs, human figures become spectral presences, reduced to fragile entities within structures they have designed but no longer control. The work presents a haunting meditation on humanity's relationship with the industrial landscape, where people appear dwarfed by the massive machinery and infrastructure they have created.
The prize jury specifically praised the coherence between the work's political significance – questioning industrialization and environmental transformation – and the aesthetic and editorial quality of the publication. The photography doesn't merely record; it compels viewers to truly see and confront the reality of industrial impact on our world.
The book's design itself contributes to its message, featuring three different types of paper, a screen-printed vinyl dust jacket, and a bilingual French-English edition. The publisher's website includes a warning that reads: "Attention: this book is like the territory it shows – it gets dirty and becomes dirty over time!" This playful notice indicates that the powerful images within the book leave traces and mark the material, much like the industrial processes they document.
The publication includes contextual essays by Aurélien Delpirou and Vincent Jendly himself, providing geographical and historical context for the project. These texts explore the ambitious state projects of France's post-war boom period known as the "Trente Glorieuses" (Glorious Thirty), the Braek dike in Dunkirk, and the massive steel mill that dominates the local landscape.
Four other outstanding works were selected as finalists for this third edition of the Booksellers' Prize for Photography Books. These included "Marges" by Jérémie Lenoir (Light Motiv), an extensive aerial study of contemporary landscapes along the Seine River; "Plates I-XXXI" by Lia Darjes (Chose Commune), a delicate visual narrative about the secret lives of everyday animals; "Politique" by Jeanne Lucas (Rue du Bouquet), an engaged documentation of sex workers; and "Wild Rose" by Gabrielle Duplantier (Lamaindonne), a luminous meditation on nature and intimacy.
"One Millimeter of Black Dirt and a Veil of Dead Cows" is published by André Frère Editions as a 144-page softcover book measuring 22.6 x 30.5 cm, priced at 55 euros. The recognition of Jendly's work continues to establish him as an important voice in contemporary photography, particularly in documenting the complex relationship between human civilization and industrial transformation.
