24 hours, 24 photographers, 24 years
For the past 10 years a group of 24 photographers have been recording the first 24 hours of every new year, creating what they call a social commentary that will last for generations.
Last year I ran a selection of the work and thought it would be good idea to do so again as the project still has many years to run, their aim being to continue for 24 years.
The photographers are tasked with capturing a single moment within their allotted hour on an annual theme, this time it was Sign of the Times.
The original 24 met while on a postgraduate photography course at Central Saint Martin's in London, though some have gone their own way and new faces have now joined the pool.
This year six pictures will be auctioned off for Hope and Homes for Children and the exhibition was guest curated by Magnum Photos' Peter Marlow.
"I was delighted to be asked to curate the collection of images from the 10th year of 24. It has always been my feeling that the best pictures happen close to home when photographers make image-making an integral part of their lives.
"Seeing the collection really reinforces that, and as a whole gives a unique and personal way for all of us to see our own worlds."
Founder of 24photography, Claire Spreadbury would agree: "The exhibition is going from strength to strength and now in our 10th year we've really developed an identity and feel that we're an established part of London's art calendar."
Here's a selection of those from new year 2013.
00:00 Beth Colocci
Far away from metropolitan life, time is marked with heightened awareness of the phases of the Sun and Moon. As midnight is celebrated in the UK, watching the full moon slowly rising out of the pitch-black void builds a surge of optimism. The pathway on the sea marks the promise of the new year, a road to the future.
02:00 Guy Bell
I like to shoot images that are of observed events but which can also be suggestive of another meaning. Here I was drawn by the sight of ordinary people queuing in the rain for a bus in the early hours. The party spirit has faded, times are hard and yet the people are united in anticipation.
08:00 Nicky Willcock
All my 24 pieces form a potent narrative to my life which has included loss of a parent, loss of a marriage, travel, love lost and found, success and struggle, and an ongoing attempt to control the uncontrollable - time. It is my hope that my complete 24 piece will be a universal yet personal notation of my existence, however insignificant.
09:00 Aleksandra Karpowicz
I love the 24 project; it is exciting to be part of the long-term collaboration, working together with other artists to bring the concept to life. Shooting, in the early morning quietness of New Year's Day in the Praga district of Warsaw, provided an mysterious setting stuck in time. I chose to present one of the many monuments of the Holy Mary that were constructed during World War II. These figures bring hope to the poor residents of Praga today, just as they did to those oppressed by war 70 years ago.
14:00 Carol Allen Storey
The 2013 theme Sign of the Times was an apt theme for photographing commuters on the New York City subway. A decade ago heads would be buried in newspapers and books, today they are buried in smart phones and iPads.
17:00 Raphael Schutzer-Weissmann
I've been involved since the start of the project and think it's great that we're having our 10th show, though a bit scary that the first show feels like yesterday. I'm really looking forward to completing the remaining 14 hours of my 24. This year my photo represents my anger and unease about the causes of austerity and the effect it's having on this country.
18:00 Helen Chambers
The end of the year is a reflective time for me. I often, find myself wondering about whether situations could have worked out, differently, or sometimes dwell on what might have been. But there are signs around us, if we want to look. Little signals to remind us about the possibilities that are still to come.
19:00 Claire Spreadbury
With so many lives affected by the floods in the UK in recent years, I wanted to capture this significant Sign of our Times. The effects can be devastating, but the new watery landscapes can be at once stunning and otherworldly. Shot at night and surrounded by water, it was a slightly unnerving experience.
22:00 Enrico Vietti
I joined 24 "en route" and this is my fourth participation to this exciting project. I am fascinated by the development and the evolution of 24 over the years, which are mine as well. In last year's photo I pictured our family breakfast with two mugs and two baby bottles. This year it would have been four mugs only.
Sign of the Times, this year's theme, pushed me to work around intimacy, using little dolls as silent witnesses of the passing of time.
The work is on show at Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London until 23 March 2013 and you can see more of the work on their website 24photography.