Matteo Sandrini wins the Accademia Apulia Photographic Award 2010
The winner of the inaugural Accademia Apulia Photographic Award is Matteo Sandrini from London. He was presented with the £1,000 cash prize by Nancy Dell' Olio, Patron of the organisation, at a glittering ceremony at the Royal Horseguards Hotel on Friday 11 February 2011.
Presenting the awards was the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Judith Warner and the Mayor of Conversano (Apulia) Giuseppe Lovascio. Tom Thatcher from the British Council, Stefan Carcascio the Director of the Banca d’Italia, Lulu Guinness, Kash Gabriele Torsello and Uberto Vanni d’Archirafi, Consul General of Italy were amongst the 150 guests in attendance.
Matteo Sandrini’s work focuses on his native Italian city of Brescia’s cultural identity. For several days and always at the same time he positioned himself on the main street of the Carmine district where he photographed people passing by. He used the single shots to create a composite collage posing questions around whether people from different heritage may coexist in the very same district, but not necessarily integrate.
The two runner ups were Alex Boyd and Stefano Morelli. An award-winning photographer from Ayrshire, Boyd presents breathtaking views of the pristine Scottish landscape, symbol, the artist claims, of the Scots relationship with nature. Roma’s stateless identity is the focus Stefano’s work. The artist, who comes from Viareggio in Italy, captured the struggle of a Roma community to maintain their own identity whilst being seemingly invisible to broader society.
The Photographic Award, Genius Loci, Spirit of Place and Cultural Diversity, was established in 2009 by Accademia Apulia UK to champion the importance of diversity in a fast-changing world. The Award is intended to inspire artists from different communities to reflect on the importance of local heritage and customs and symbolises a cultural exchange between Italy and the UK.
Notes to Editors
The Accademia Apulia UK was founded in October 2008. It is a non-profit organisation based in London designed to foster a cultural and professional dialogue between the UK and Italy. The Accademia comprises established professionals whose membership provides the organisation with a strong network of support.
The organisation is committed to nurturing an international artistic dialogue. This is reflected in the inaugural Accademia Apulia Art Award. To date, the Award has received the endorsement of the British Council, the Italian Cultural Institute, the British Consulate-General in Milan and the government of Apulia, where the Accademia’s own journey began.
The project was funded by Belluzzo & Associati, Gattarella Resort, Fujanera, La Bottega del Caffe, the Apulian cities of Conversano and Bari.
