Reggio Emilia, 4th of May 2024
Ms. Marina Chiesa and the director of the Palazzo Magnani Foundation, Mr. Davide Zanichelli, following an introduction by Enrico Prandi, inaugurated the exhibition of the 30 finalist works exhibited at the UNIMORE University, attended by the director of the Foundation for Sport of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, Silvia Signorelli, as well as panathletes from the Club of Reggio Emilia and other visitors, including the author of one of the podium photographs.
A few hours later, a small square in the historic centre of Emilia hosted the awards ceremony of the Off Circuit of FOTOGRAFIA EUROPEA. In front of a large audience attracted by the music of a youth band, Maurizio Monego gave a short presentation of Panathlon and the Domenico Chiesa Foundation while images of the exhibition were scrolling on a screen.
The winners were called on stage in this order:
Honourable Mention to GORONDI GABOR (Argentina) - not present - for an untitled photograph, which is a composition with three subjects plunging into the ocean water, placed like an arrowhead heading towards the sun disc hiding behind the horizon.
Honourable Mention to LEONARDO DEMARCO (Rieti, Italy - his father received the parchment) for the photograph FIOCCHI DI FATICA, an image that clearly portrays the effort and determination of young people in participating in a race under heavy snowfall.
PANATHLON CLUB SPECIAL PRIZE to SUDIP MAITI (Kolkata - INDIA), for the photograph FAIR PLAY, a well-constructed image: a child playing with shadows of his companions, the ball and its shadow in the centre of the image. The smile of the child reaching out to catch the ball makes the composition a scene of pure joy, interpreting the nature of playing and thus the nature of sport.
On the podium of the final winners, while the screen projected their works, the following names have been proclaimed:
3rd SUDIP MAITI (India): the plaques of the third place, the Panathlon Club Award, and the Catalogue of the Exhibition of EUROPEAN PHOTOGRAPHY will be sent to India to the young author, who has been credited with the 750-euros scholarship.
2nd MATTEO STRASSERA (Rome - Italy) for the photograph AQUATIC SPORTS, an image of two surfers, shot from a drone, in a game that exploits the hidden force of a wave they are riding skilfully. "I looked for the shot when I first started using the drone, and I chose this photograph for the geometries constructed by shooting from above," Matteo commented in the brief interview with him. To him the applause of the square and the 1,000 euros scholarship.
1st CHIARA SACCO (Vercelli - Italy) for the photograph SPIRITUAL ELEVATION, in which the nature represented by the tree and the athletic gesture of the dancer harmoniously merge, reminding us how our existences are closely connected to nature. Chiara is a street dance teacher and a passionate photographer. "The dancer is a friend who is a ballet dancer," she revealed, " I superimposed her image on a photograph taken in the park, as I did not have the time to take it live. Chiara received the prize consisting of a plaque and a scholarship of 1,500 euros.
GORONDI GABOR (Argentina) LEONARDO DEMARCO (Rieti, Italia)
CHIARA SACCO (Vercelli - Italia)
MATTEO STRASSERA (Roma - Italia)
SUDIP MAITI (India)
