The virtual exhibition of the winner and two finalists of the third edition of WARS, the international photojournalism competition conceived by Fabio Bucciarelli – artistic director – and Raffaele Crocco, chief-editor of ‘Atlante delle guerre e dei conflitti del Mondo’ and ‘Atlas of Wars’, is now online.
On AtlantePhotoExpo you will find the photo essay by Siegfried Modola, winner of the third edition of WARS, who was also awarded the ‘Visa pour l’image’ prize on Saturday 10 September in Perpignan, France. The winning photo essay tells the story of Myanmar, which has been plunged back into civil war since the Armed forces overthrew the civilian Government in February 2021. Journalists have been banned from working in Myanmar. Siegfried Modola covered the conflict clandestinely from January 2022, spending more than four months embedded with Karenni soldiers fighting the military regime.
The virtual exhibition also includes the works of the two finalists. Federico Rios’ photographs, also awarded a ‘Visa pour l’image’, take us to the Darien Gap, which has become one of the world’s most important migration routes, with thousands of people from dozens of Countries crossing the jungle stretch between Colombia and Panama, heading north to reach the United States.
Santi Palacios, the second finalist, was recognised by the jury for his work in the town of Bucha, northwest of Kyiv, which will be remembered as one of the key moments in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The exhibition of the three finalists’ works will be held at the Rovereto War Museum from 15 September to 22 October. Now in its third edition, the ‘Montura Prize’ photography competition has attracted photographers from all over the world to document the world’s wars and conflicts.
On the cover image: Siegfried Modola, Men help a seriously wounded Karenni soldier during clashes with the Myanmar army in Kayah (Karenni) State, eastern Myanmar (Burma) on 22 April 2023. The soldier was shot during close-quarters fighting with the Military junta in a wooded area. The bullet pierced his liver, but he survived after being treated by paramedics and then taken to a Karenni field military hospital.
