The German Photographic Association has said that this year's Erich Salomon Award to Lithuanian photographic artist Antanas Sutkus.





The association said that Sutkus' work did not connive to Soviet ideals, and his portraits of people and the society reveals alternative lifestyles, sincere and modest joy. With his work, the artist aimed to create a visual story of Lithuania as the geographic center of Europe that was almost out of reach to Western Europe at the time.





Established in 1971, the prize is awarded to artists and organizations for their outstanding reporting activities. The prize owes its name to outstanding photographer of the Weimar Republic, dr. Erich Solomon, who has had a major impact on modern press photography.





The award ceremony will take place in Berlin on June 23, the Culture Ministry said.





Sutkus is one of the most prominent artists in Lithuania, titled as a representative of humanist photography. Since 1950, his work portrays people of Lithuania that was then occupied by the Soviet Union.