Nagol, the call of the void, the memory of ancestors 

Photographer

gregory boissy

Category

People Photography - Culture

Company

Submission Group

Professional

Year

2026

Country / Region:

French Polynesia

Atanas and Ernestino, two inhabitants of Rangosuksu (Pentecost Island, Vanuatu), gaze down at the ground from the top of their tower. With the men of the village, they went into the forest to gather the wood and vines that make up the structure. Perched some twenty meters above the ground, they prepare to throw themselves into the void, connected only by roots wrapped around their ankles.  Like their ancestors, they perpetuate a centuries-old tradition that remains alive and well, embodying courage, faith, and the profound connection between humankind and its environment The Nagol Tower, erected from natural materials on Pentecost Island (Vanuatu), is an impressive structure made of interwoven tree trunks and roots. Each level, four on this Rangosuksu tower, supports platforms from which jumpers launch themselves into the void. The wood is deeply anchored in the ground, while the plant fibers ensure the cohesion of the whole. Both rustic and ingenious, the towers embody an ancestral know-how that combines balance, robustness, and harmony with the surrounding nature.

Credits

journalist
Delphine Barrais
More Gold Winner Winners
Professional
2026

Photographer / Company

JOEM

Category

Special Category - AI-Generated Images

Country / Region

Turkey

Professional
2026

Photographer / Company

Pawel Opalinski

Category

Fine Art Photography - Street

Country / Region

Poland

Amateur
2026

Photographer / Company

WEI CHIN HO

Category

Fine Art Photography - People

Country / Region

Taiwan

Amateur
2026

Photographer / Company

Thibault Gerbaldi

Category

People Photography - Street

Country / Region

United States