Territory: Worldwide
Theme: A Contemporary Look at Architecture
Eligibility: Individuals and groups globally
Entry Fees: Free
Prize: Cash Prize
The "Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture" is a biennial programme. It aims to honour the person and the work of this outstanding photographer, who bridged the gap between analogue and digital photography and whose work is recognised both nationally and internationally.
Luis Ferreira Alves' photographic work demonstrates a remarkable ability to create a unique perspective, both "objective" and "subjective", on the work of various renowned Portuguese architects, including Álvaro Siza Vieira and Eduardo Souto de Moura. His images convey an intimate understanding of these architects—both Pritzker Prize winners—and the architectural spaces they designed. While it is true that Luis Ferreira Alves offers us visually striking documents of architectural spaces and forms, his perspective, shaped by centuries of visual culture since the Renaissance, goes beyond mere representation. His work reveals a deep understanding and appreciation of architecture due to his close relationship with the practice and discipline itself.
The Prize is based on the "Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture," which, through a protocol, includes the heirs of Luis Ferreira Alves and the promoters of the Competition, namely Porto City Council (CMP) and Cityscopio-Associação Cultural (CCA). The competition also has other important institutional partners, distributed between the organising committee – as the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto (FAUP) - and the group of strategic and sponsoring entities, as Casa da Arquitetura (CA) and the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDRN), the Marques da Silva Foundation Institute (FIMS) and the Order of Architects (OA); groups of great relevance, such as the CIN brand in the coatings market and widely recognised internationally and one of the largest companies in Europe and the world in the sector. Other notable partners include BPI, a financial institution focused on banking services in Portugal and controlled by CaixaBank Group, an economic leader in Spain, and Canon, one of the largest camera manufacturers in the world. We also have the Metro do Porto support in communicating and publicising the Competition - a light rail network essential to the city's public transport system.
Main Objectives
To promote a deep understanding of the practice and discipline of architecture, both in Portugal and worldwide, within broader sociocultural, artistic, technical, political, and historical systems, through the lens of photography.
To communicate the significant and unique relationship that a photographer can establish with an architect and their work. We believe that this nuanced understanding is an important lesson from Luis Ferreira Alves’ architectural photography, and something that this Competition seeks to foster and strengthen, especially at a time when architecture is increasingly consumed through images.
The top three projects will receive:
1st Prize: €10.000
2nd Prize: €4.000
3rd Prize: Photography equipment voucher worth €1.500 Additionally, all winners receive a catalogue featuring their work, a certificate, and a copy of Luis Ferreira Alves in the Works of Eduardo Souto de Moura.
