Launched as part of the URBAN Photo Awards, URBAN Photo Arena returns for its second edition. This prize, for photographers under 35, offers the opportunity to discover tomorrow’s talents.
Founder of the URBAN Photo Awards, Stefano Ambroset envisions URBAN Photo Arena as a kind of sports competition: “Each week, like in a sports match, the photographs submitted to the contest will face each others, and, the highlight will be that the photographers themselves will be the judges. They will vote to determine the winners of each round, selecting the most captivating images. As the competition progresses, only the best photos will rise to the top of the ranking.” The final round will be judged by Harry Gruyaert, president of this year’s URBAN Photo Awards jury.
URBAN Photo Arena offers valuable visibility to young generations of photographers, with the opportunity to exhibit their work at the Pietro Pettini Foundation during the next edition of the Trieste Photo Days this autumn. Last year, it was the French photographer Romain Miot, at 28 years old, who won the prize with his photo “Becoming an Adult,” featuring a young Sudanese boy. The jury was then presided by Alec Soth.
There are two types of winners in this competition: in addition to the best photographs chosen by an international jury, the URBAN Photo Awards teams wanted to reward “the perseverance in voting and the photographic intuition of all those who helped select the winning photograph.” Thus, a prize will be awarded to the “best voter.”
This year, a special prize, “The Patricia D. Richards Legacy Award,” will also be given to all photographers under 35 who submit images in the Projects & Portfolios section. It pays tribute to American photographer Patricia D. Richards and “the passion that fueled her entire career,” as explained by Stefano Ambroset. Denis Curti will choose the winner.
Submissions are open until June 16, and in an effort to allow access to as many people as possible, they are free this year. Moreover, the theme is open, offering great freedom for young photographers to express themselves on any subject.
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