WARS Photography Award – Press release
Through photography we discover horror, fear, tragedy. We understand the fatigue, the discouragement, the courage. We see the hope, the ability to go beyond, to rebuild where everything is still being destroyed. All of this is the power of photography, what it manages to communicate. For us, at WARS, photography is all this and more. It is a solid brick of information-making. As Atlas of Wars and Conflicts of the World and as Montura, we have always believed this: and that is why we are launching the third edition of WARS, the international photography competition born from an idea of Fabio Bucciarelli – the artistic director of the project – and Raffaele Crocco, editor-in-chief of the Atlas.
Photography is a fundamental tool to inform and to tell what is wrong in the world, in terms of lack of rights, inequalities, wars. This was the initial point. But also, photography is a fundamental element to understand that there is always hope, a desire for redemption. A snapshot does not only and forever fix a precise moment. Often, it can capture the essence of what is happening. Or, it puts together the terrible puzzle of human emotions. Finally, it tells the story of a place, of a landscape. Photography often has the power to take us almost physically to where things happen. It can create empathy towards the victims, hatred towards the perpetrators.
The WARS photography competition – reaching its third edition in 2023 – will have simple rules again this year, and the opportunity for one reporter to win the Montura Prize. Photographers of any nationality and age can participate. The photographs submitted can be in colour or black and white, but must be part of an “organic corpus” of photojournalism. Photographic post-production is permitted, but only as long as it does not alter the original meaning of the image. Photomontages are not permitted.
What should the works narrate? As we have always said, the theme is wars and conflicts on the planet. This is not only understood as active combat, but it can also broaden the lens to look for the wars’ causes and reasons.
A jury of the highest level is called upon to evaluate the works; it is composed of Maral Deghati, Philip Blenkinsop, and Rodrigo Abd.
The first two editions were a success. This third edition will close the deadline for submissions on 23 July. The announcement of the winner(s) will be on 10 September in Mantua, with an exhibition at Palazzo Ducale as part of the Literature Festival. For more information, regulations and how to enter, please click here or visit our websites: www.montura.it, www.atlantedelleguerre.it, www.atlasofwars.com and www.unimondo.org.
