Trieste Photo Days 2025
International Photography Festival
12thEdition
October 24-26, 2025
Exhibitions open from October 24
Featuring guests: Matt Black, Paolo Verzone, Denis Curti
Free exhibitions and events, workshops, masterclasses, portfolio reviews
Planning is in full swing for the 12th edition of Trieste Photo Days – the International Photography Festival that since 2014 has been bringing the best of photographic art to the heart of Europe, transforming the Mitteleuropean city into a vibrant crossroads of cultures.
Starting from October 24, for the twelfth consecutive year, Trieste Photo Days will welcome international guests, exhibitions in the city’s main venues, events, talks, workshops, masterclasses, award ceremonies, and presentations of new editorial projects.
A WEEKEND FULL OF EVENTS AND GUESTS
Special guests
From October 24 to 26, Trieste Photo Days will host prominent figures from the world of contemporary international photography:
– Matt Black (Magnum Photos), an American photographer from California’s Central Valley. Between 2014 and 2020, he traveled over 100,000 miles across 46 U.S. states for the American Geography project, published by Thames & Hudson and turned into an international exhibition. His most acclaimed works also include The Dry Land and The Monster in the Mountains, published by The New Yorker and accompanied by short films.
His photos have appeared in TIME, The New Yorker, Le Monde, Internazionale. He has received the W. Eugene Smith Award, three Robert F. Kennedy Awards, and recognition from World Press Photo, the National Geographic Society, and others. He has been a member of Magnum Photos since 2019.
– Paolo Verzone (Agence VU’), an internationally renowned photographer with over thirty years of experience. Based in Barcelona, he is known for long-term projects exploring identity, culture, and the environment. His best-known works include Seeuropeans, Moscow Project, and the series on European military academy cadets, published by La Martinière.
Since 2009, he has also focused on the Arctic, addressing scientific and environmental themes. His work has appeared in National Geographic, Le Monde, Vanity Fair, and Rolling Stone. He has won three World Press Photo awards, the 2023 Picture of the Year International, and his works are part of prestigious collections like the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
A Canon Ambassador since 2017 and a National Geographic Explorer since 2024, Verzone blends visual storytelling with cultural commitment in powerful projects.
– Denis Curti, a leading figure in photography, holds several prestigious roles including director of Le Stanze della Fotografia in Venice, founder and director of STILL gallery in Milan, director of the online magazine Black Camera, and artistic director of Deloitte’s PhotoGrant.
Unmissable events
Kicking off the festival will be a two-day workshop with Matt Black (October 23–24), followed by masterclasses with Paolo Verzone, Gianpaolo Arena, and Denis Curti (October 25). Also on the schedule: portfolio reviews supervised by Denis Curti (October 24–25), and talks by major international photographers Matt Black and Paolo Verzone (October 26).
The program also includes guided exhibition tours with the artists, from Dario De Dominicis to Andy Hall, Gianpaolo Arena to Krzysztof Bednarski, and emerging talents Alice Zorzin, Filippo Ferraro, Francesco Aglieri Rinella, and Ekaterina Frolova, featured in the Fellowship program with Denis Curti.
Award Ceremonies
Among the most anticipated events is the URBAN Photo Awards 2025 Ceremony, in the presence of judges Matt Black, Paolo Verzone, and Denis Curti.
In addition to the main URBAN categories (Single Photos, Projects & Portfolios, Book Award, Arena), winners will be announced for: Musei Civici Award, TPD Best Author, and Gaze on Existence – the special prize with Matt Black (October 25).
Awards will also be presented for original projects URBAN Animals, Mythography 5, Canticle of the Creatures, and the announcement of the winning project for the 2025 Project Selection, to be exhibited in 2026 (October 24–26).
The festival also celebrates the artistic heritage of Friuli Venezia Giulia thanks to the collaboration with artist, painter, and sculptor Giorgio Celiberti, honored at the Venice Biennale. Each winning photographer will receive a unique artwork by Maestro Celiberti – an authentic symbol of the region’s art and culture.
Free exhibitions open to everyone
Thanks to its wide variety of exhibitions, guests, and events, the festival offers visitors the best of contemporary international photography in the splendid setting of Trieste.
With over 2,000 photos on display, the festival will transform the city into an international stage for photographers and authors from around the world. Exhibitions, both solo and group, will be hosted in historical venues, museums, and urban exhibition spaces.
Among the highlights of the 12th edition:
Sala Veruda will host URBAN Animals, the annual flagship project of Trieste Photo Days, exploring the coexistence between animals and urban spaces. A call to look anew at animal presence in cities, from surprising adaptations to silent coexistence. Special guest: Dario De Dominicis.
Magazzino 26 in Porto Vecchio will feature the second edition of M26 Project. Visual Reflections in Porto Vecchio, with works by Matt Black and Paolo Verzone; the Errore Errare exhibition by Circolo Fotografico La Gondola of Venice; Mythography V: Juno, Venus, and Vesta, inspired by Greco-Roman mythology; and Gaze on Existence, the special URBAN 2025 award.
The Museum of Oriental Art will host INDIA, the winning exhibition from the international selection organized in collaboration with the Museum and the Photo Archive of the Civic Museums of History and Art.
Sala Comunale d’Arte will present Tales of The City by Andy Hall, selected by Harry Gruyaert in 2024 for the 2025 edition.
Also on display: Canticle of the Creatures, a major photographic project for the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis of Assisi’s poem; the 8th edition of the Musei Civici Award at Museo Sartorio; the 4th edition of URBAN unveils the city and its secrets at the Central Post Office in Piazza Vittorio Veneto; URBAN Photo Awards 2025 Winners Exhibition at Sala Xenia; Artists of the Carso, with photos by Gianpaolo Arena, and Urban Photography: Trieste and Cities of the World at the Covered Market; TALENT Space and URBAN Photo Arena for under-35s at Sala Arturo Fittke; the winners of the 3rd Exhibit Around Trophy also on show at Sala Xenia.
FRINGE – the “off festival”
Enriching the festival experience as always is Trieste Photo Fringe, the circuit showcasing the best of international urban photography in selected venues around the city center.
Visitors can also enjoy local culinary specialties thanks to the Enjoy the Fringe! initiative, which highlights each venue’s food offerings.
The Photo Days Tour, with exhibitions at Trieste Airport, will launch the festival early, starting in August.
The ORIGINALS, creativity by Trieste Photo Days
Creativity is at the heart of Trieste Photo Days, thanks to the efforts of dotART and Exhibit Around APS, who not only organize the festival but also develop original international projects involving hundreds of photographers worldwide. These projects result in exhibitions offering fresh artistic perspectives, opportunities to discover new talents, and inspiring moments of celebration.
Among the key 2025 projects, alongside Mythography and URBAN Animals, the Festival will present Canticle of the Creatures, a photographic project created in collaboration with the Order of Friars Minor – OFM Fraternitas Foundation, the Faculty of Philosophy of the Pontifical Antonianum University, GPIC Friars Minor of Italy and Albania, and co-organized with the City of Assisi.
The project celebrates the 8th centenary of Saint Francis’s Canticle of the Creatures, considered the first poetic text in Italian literature.
Supporters and Partners
Trieste Photo Days is organized by dotART – Cultural Association and Exhibit Around APS
General coordination: Stefano Ambroset, founder of Trieste Photo Days
Art consultant: Vincenzo Labellarte
With support from: Friuli Venezia Giulia Region – Io Sono Friuli Venezia Giulia, and in collaboration with the City of Trieste.
Supported by: Edilimpianti Trieste, Le Fondazioni Benefiche Alberto e Kathleen Casali ETS, Cooperativa Lase, InstallPro, Unicusano – Trieste Campus.
In collaboration with: Photo Archive of the Civic Museums of History and Art, Museum of Oriental Art, Museo Sartorio, CRAF, GO! 2025, Casa del Cinema Association of Trieste, La Cappella Underground, Circolo Fotografico La Gondola of Venice, Stelio Crise State Library, PAG – Youth Area Project of the City of Trieste, Poste Italiane and Mitteleuropean Postal and Telegraph Museum, AIDIA Trieste, IN/Arch Triveneto, ITIS Public Services Company, Trieste Airport, CIOFS, and all project partners.
Media partners: Il Fotografo, Frames, FOTO cult, Street Photography Magazine, Radio Punto Zero.
