Mikkel Hørlyck has won second prize at PX3

Mikkel Hørlyck has won silver for his story The Neclegted in the Feature category at PX3 – Prix de la Photographie, Paris.

Petru, 23, spends most of his day with his eyes shut, while blocking his ears with his hands. Often he yells loudly and hits himself. Petru is out getting fresh air during one of the daily trips around the premises. Suddenly, he stands up, opens his eyes and looks up into the sky.
Photo: Mikkel Hørlyck.

The Neclegted is the story about an orphanage in the city of Orhei in Moldova, which is the residence of some 200 boys and men, who are physically or mentally disabled. Moldova is the poorest country in Europe, and poverty is the main reason that many parents are forced to surrender their kids to orphanages. Common for most of the boys is that they lack the care and attention of a family, which is crucial to their emotional development. The Moldavian government wants to shut down the country’s orphanages and place the boys in foster care. But this policy is only slowly being implemented due to lack of initiative and funding.

Mikkel made the story during his third term at DMJX. Currently, Mikkel has finished his 4th term and will start internship at Politiken after the summer break.

The Neglected will be screened during the PX3 exhibition at Espace Beaurepaire, Paris from 9th – 14th of July.

You can watch the full project at Mikkel’s webpage.