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Get Ready for the 11th Edition of Trieste Photo Days Festival

The 11th edition of Trieste Photo Days is set to be a major international photography festival. This year’s event will showcase a diverse range of activities, including:

  • Workshops: Learn from renowned photographers and hone your skills.
  • Exhibitions: Explore stunning collections from around the world.
  • Talks: Gain insights from industry leaders like Harry Gruyaert.

The URBAN Photo Awards will once again be a highlight of the festival, recognizing exceptional urban photography. Additionally, visitors can expect to see special editorial projects and collaborative initiatives with local artists.

The festival’s focus on urban photography is evident in its content. Detailed descriptions of the activities and guest photographers emphasize the cultural significance of this art form.

The international festival doubles down this year: the seaside Trieste will host two weekends dedicated to the best of contemporary photography

As per tradition, the last weekend in October transforms Trieste, the sunny Adriatic pearl suspended between the sea and the Karst, into a vibrant crossroads of cultures. But here’s the first big news from 2024…

  Trieste Photo Days Doubles the Excitement!  

Thanks to the ongoing support from institutions, partners, and some fantastic new collaborations, the 11th edition of Trieste Photo Days is stretching across two weekends: October 24-27 and November 2-3, 2024. The main exhibitions will be open to the public starting October 25.

The cosmopolitan city of Trieste will welcome international guests for two weeks of photographic exploration: an extraordinary edition with a packed program of events, in-depth talks, workshops, masterclasses, awards ceremonies, and presentations of new editorial projects.

The festival will showcase renowned photographers in prestigious city venues and other urban spaces, featuring over 2000 shots from around the globe. This edition promises an unmissable chance to discover Trieste and enjoy top-notch contemporary photography, with exhibitions open to the public and free of charge.

We’ll also celebrate the artistic heritage of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region with a special collaboration with artist, painter, and sculptor Giorgio Celiberti, honored at the Venice Biennale. Each award-winning photographer will receive a unique artwork by Celiberti, a true symbol of local art and culture.

  International Weekend    October 24-27, 2024

Special Guests

Trieste Photo Days 2024 stands out for its diverse and international program. The first weekend will feature prominent contemporary photographers including Harry Gruyaert (Magnum Photos), a Belgian photographer known for his innovative use of color, Adam Pretty (Getty Images), celebrated for his sports photography and current coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Paul Gadd, a renowned British art photographer, and Manca Juvan, a Slovenian documentary photographer.

Awards

Among the eagerly awaited events is the 15th URBAN Photo Awards Ceremony, held at the prestigious Revoltella Museum on the evening of Saturday, October 26. Awards will be given in several categories, including:

  • “The Patricia D. Richards Legacy Award” for under-35 authors
  • Celiberti Award for Artistic Sensitivity
  • Musei Civici Award
  • TPD Best Author Award
  • Project Selection 2025 exhibition Award

 

Editorial projects

Anticipation is building for the Best Authors Awards for original editorial projects produced by Exhibit Around APS in 2024. The social promotion association, a festival partner, offers growth and visibility opportunities for the photographic community, also functioning as an established publishing house.

Notable editorial projects include:

  • La Città Doppia (The Double City): A multidisciplinary photographic initiative designed for “GO! 2025 Nova Gorica-Gorizia European Capital of Culture.”
  • Obiettivo: Company Town (Objective: Company Town) : A project reflecting on how local and international factory towns mirror social changes, coexisting cultures, and industrial and architectural heritage.
  • Sguardi diVini (DiVine Insights): A photographic journey exploring viticulture in Friuli Venezia Giulia and worldwide, reflecting on its cultural and economic significance and how the passion for wine has endured and thrived over time.

Selection of the covers of photographic volumes published by Exhibit Around in 2024.


  National Weekend   November 2-3, 2024

Events and Guests

The second weekend, November 2 and 3, will focus on a national showcase at Magazzino 26 in Trieste’s Old Port, highlighting Italian photographic heritage with exhibitions and talks. Guests include Denis Curti, curator and director of Le Stanze della Fotografia in Venice, and Massimo Siragusa, a four-time World Press Photo Award winner. The program will also feature Andrea Rossato, a three-time Sony World Photography Award winner, and Lorenzo Zoppolato, who won the Friuli Venezia Giulia Fotografia Award in 2023.

The weekend will include a Lectio Magistralis by Denis Curti, a talk with Massimo Siragusa, and discussions on archives and “Photography in Cinema.” Attendees will gain unique insights into the region, enhancing the festival with high-level cultural and educational experiences.

Event Coordinator: Giovanni Pelloso, Editor-in-Chief of IL FOTOGRAFO

Exhibition Curator: Vincenzo Labellarte, CRAF Award Winner at the 38th Friuli Venezia Giulia Photography Review 2024

  Free Exhibitions Open to All  

The 11th edition promises record-breaking numbers, with over 2000 photographs transforming Trieste into an international stage for photographers and artists from around the world. Exhibitions, both collective and solo, will be set up in historic venues, museums, and urban spaces around the city center, allowing visitors to explore the festival on foot. Trieste Photo Days remains one of Europe’s most distinctive artistic and cultural events.

Thanks to its rich variety of exhibitions, guests, and events, the festival offers the best of contemporary international photography, all set against the historical beauty of Trieste. All exhibitions are free and open to all.

Highlights of the 11th Edition:

  • Sala Veruda: Play! Let the Game Begin – Special Guest Adam Pretty. This major international collective exhibition is dedicated to sport in all its forms.
  • Magazzino 26: M26 Project – Visual reflections in Porto Vecchio.
  • Museum of Oriental Art: Manca Juvan, Istanbul. Faces of Freedom – Created in collaboration with the Civic Museums of History and Art of the Municipality of Trieste.
  • Sartorio Museum: Eighth edition of the Musei Civici Award.
  • Xenia Hall: Exhibition of the winners of the 15th URBAN Photo Awards.
  • Fittke Hall: The Patricia D. Richards Legacy Award / TALENT Under 35.
  • Stelio Crise Sate Library: URBAN Book Award 2024
  • Spazio TRART Art Gallery: Paul Gadd and Collectible Shots.
  • Covered Market: Urban Photography: Trieste and Cities of the World and Mythography IV: Volcano and Uranus.
  • Central Post Office: URBAN Exhibits 2024

In Porto Vecchio, Magazzino 26 will feature a regional focus with exhibitions and events including:

  • La Città Doppia, exploring the theme of borders in the context of GO! 2025 Nova Gorica-Gorizia European Capital of Culture.
  • Obiettivo Company Town, showcasing factory cities from the 20th century to the present.
  • Sguardi diVini, a journey into the world of wine, through stories and colors.

Unpublished photographic works by Massimo Siragusa, Andrea Rossato, Lorenzo Zoppolato and Manca Juvan will add depth and variety to the entire exhibition.

General Coordination: Stefano Ambroset, founder of Trieste Photo Days.

  Festival Satellite Events  

Enhancing the festival experience is Trieste Photo Fringe, a satellite photo circuit showcasing the best of international urban photography in selected city venues. Visitors can enjoy local culinary delights through the “Enjoy the Fringe!” initiative, which highlights each venue’s food offerings. The Photo Days Tour will kick off in August with exhibitions at Trieste Airport and continue in mid-September with shows in Torviscosa and Cormons.

 

  Supporters and Partners  

“I am deeply proud to see Trieste Photo Days grow and evolve year after year. This festival is a tribute to the beauty of urban photography and its ability to tell unique and powerful stories. Each year, we are dedicated to bringing talented photographers from around the world to our city, providing them with a platform to express their visions and connect with a global community of enthusiasts and professionals. Trieste, with its rich cultural heritage and vibrant artistic scene, is the perfect place to celebrate this art form. I invite everyone to join us for this 11th edition, which promises to be an unforgettable experience.” 

Message from Stefano Ambroset, Founder and General Coordinator of Trieste Photo Days

Trieste Photo Days is promoted by dotART – Cultural Association and Exhibit Around APS – Social Promotion Association.

With the support of: Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, the Municipality of Trieste, Kathleen Foreman Casali Foundation, Pietro Pittini Foundation, Cooperativa Lase, InstallPro, Unicusano – Trieste Campus, and Spin S.p.A. Bracco Group.

In collaboration with: Fototeca dei Civici Musei di Storia ed Arte, Museo d’Arte Orientale, Museo Sartorio, CRAF, GO! 2025, TRART, Associazione Casa del Cinema di Trieste, PAG – Progetto Area Giovani del Comune di Trieste, La Cappella Underground, Poste Italiane and Museo postale e telegrafico della Mitteleuropa, AIDIA Trieste, IN/Arch Triveneto, Biblioteca statale Stelio Crise, VSŠ – Scuola Superiore Professionale di Sežana, Trieste Airport, and all Project Partners.

Media Partner: Il Fotografo, L’Oeil de la Photographie, Fotocult, ArtDOC, OpenEYE, Radio Punto Zero