Beyond the Lens is the title of the exhibition containing the 143 photographs taken by 48 photographers of 37 nationalities, divided into ten thematic categories, of one of the most prestigious international photography awards.
In addition to the main one, Siena will host a series of exhibitions that will explore the photographic universe from different points of view, such as through workshops and meetings with the authors.
The exhibition represents the fourth edition of the Siena International Photo Award (SIPA) and will take place from 28 October to 2 December 2018. The SIPA is one of the most prestigious international photography awards and is organized by Art Photo Travel, with the patronage of the Municipality of Siena, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, main partners Olympus, Simply Market, Il Fotoamatore.
“The one we took a few years ago is an important path – comments Luca Venturi, creator and artistic director of the Festival -, that of linking a city like Siena, unique in its history and beauty, to a festival dedicated to photography and a photographic award , the Siena International Photo Awards. In four years we have created an appointment awaited and appreciated by an audience that is not only Italian". “This success – continues Luca Venturi – is confirmed by the numbers and prominence of internationally renowned professionals who have chosen to participate in our project and today places us among the great photography awards. And we are happy that in this dream of ours he immediately found the support and enthusiasm of the city's public institutions and private partners without whom this adventure could not have begun".
The main exhibition, Beyond the Lens, is hosted by the Ex-distillery "Lo Stellino", a new space with an industrial character. The selection was made by an international jury made up of 24 photographers, editors, publishers and photography experts, who had to choose among 48 shots that came to Siena from all over the world, taken by a heterogeneous scene that included professionals, amateurs and amateurs.
The exhibition will feature authentic works of art, including photographs by Pulitzer Prize winners and multiple World Press Photo winners, as well as reports by some of National Geographic's most famous photographers. It will be an opportunity to look beyond the lens and be surprised by the beauty of faces and situations of everyday life, pristine contexts of nature that the authors have "captured" thanks to their knowledge of the environments, their creativity and patience and the ability to express themselves with a camera. The exhibition itinerary set up at the ex-distillery "Lo Stellino" will be divided into ten areas that correspond to the thematic categories of which the award is made up - Libero colore, Libero monochrome, Travel & adventures, Captivating people and faces, The beauty of nature, Animals in their natural environment, Architecture and urban spaces, Sport in action, Story-telling, Splashes of color – and will be enriched by the projection of a series of images that will document the photographic thought and activity of some of the most famous artists awarded at Siena International Photo Awards.
The winner will be announced during the awards ceremony, scheduled for Saturday 27 October 2018, at 17.30 pm, at the Teatro dei Rozzi in Siena. "Lo Stellino" will welcome a selection of the most beautiful images awarded in the section reserved for young people under 20.
Drones in art
The power of progress lies in being able to insert the tools of the future into contemporary reality and to use new technologies to improve one's life. In art and photography, this trend translates into the ability to use a drone to take some breathtaking aerial photography. By the way, from 26 October to 2 December 2018, the complex of the Basilica of San Domenico will host Sky's the limit, the first group show in Italy on aerial photography, with a selection of the most beautiful works awarded at the "Drone Awards".
Among the novelties of the 2018 edition of SIPA, we note the new headquarters of the Logge del Papa, a fifteenth-century architecture of arches and vaults, under which, from 28 October to 2 December 2018, a wooden structure will be set up in which on display the photographs taken in Brazil by the Englishman Tarq Zaidi, and which are part of the Capturing the Human Spirit project, which embraces six countries and which aims, as the artist himself states, to "capture the human spirit in some of the poorest communities of the world". In this case, the images document life in the Manguiera favela – just one kilometer from the Maracanã stadium – which, despite the enormous difficulties and poor living conditions, is characterized by a great sense of camaraderie, dignity and of pride.
