Fondazione Modena Arti Visive, the Venturi art school in Modena and the Vignali family are promoters of an important project sponsored by the Emilia-Romagna region whose aim is to give visibility to the culture of images and support the development of artistic research through photography and video. The Davide Vignali Prize is a competition aimed at final-year secondary school students in the region of Emilia-Romagna which has been a fixture in support of young people’s creativity for over ten years.
Established in 2011 by Marisa and Doriano Vignali, who felt the urgent need to react to the tragic and premature passing of their son, the intention of the prize has always been to revive Davide’s energy, by evoking his humanity, vivacity and desire to do something important. Every year, participants are asked to send an original artistic project, on any subject, comprising a series of photographs, video or installation. The images must be accompanied by a short presentation of the central idea developed in the work. Every year, Fondazione Modena Arti Visive hosts an exhibition to present the prize-winning projects and a selection of the best works in the competition. The photographs and videos sent to the competition cast light on young people’s emotions, worries, views of reality and explorations. The expressive and immediate language of the images reveals dreams and ideals, brings out intimate personal feelings, conjures up memories and shows visions of surreal and alternative worlds. Despite the difficulties linked to the pandemic and online teaching in recent years, the participants have not lost their enthusiasm or commitment, continuing to send numerous projects whose images have often transmitted the difficulties experienced in this suspended time.
The best-quality videos or photographs, with the clearest, most original ideas and skilled execution submitted to the competition are selected to appear in an exhibition and exhibition catalogue. The winners receive a 1,000-euro prize, take part in a photographic workshop at Fondazione Modena Arti Visive, and receive a book coupon to spend in the FMAV bookshop. An additional 500-euro prize is reserved for the students of the Modena art school.
The prize winners were chosen by a jury consisting of artists Eva & Franco Mattes, Davide’s parents Doriano Vignali and Marisa Spallanzani, Maria Menziani, teacher at the Venturi art school in Modena, Antonella Battilani, graphic designer, Paola Micich, graphic designer, Claudia Fini and Luca Monzani of FMAV Fondazione Modena Arti Visive.
1st prize
Se dici che mi vedi meglio significa che non sto abbastanza male
Anita Schulte-Bunert (Blaise Pascal high school, Reggio Emilia)
2nd prize
Persone normali
Sara Ori (Venturi art school, Modena)
3rd prize
Educati ad essere perfetti
Martina Magnani (Corso high school, Correggio, Reggio Emilia)
Venturi Prize
Become adult
Rebecca Felicelli and Sofia Kalfus (Venturi art school, Modena)
Special mention
Empatia
Martina Bellapianta (Venturi art school, Modena)
Special mention
Non l’ho fato a posta
Gloria Venturelli (Venturi art school, Modena)
The young artists’ works will be put in an exhibition at Palazzo Santa Margherita which will open on 26 November 2022 (until 26 February 2023) and in the exhibition catalogue. Together with the winners’ works, the exhibition will also include a selection of works by other students who took part in the competition: Class 5A from the Carducci high school in Ferrara with 32g/mol, Simone Lipeti from the Cassinari high school in Piacenza with Siccità, Ivan Lambruschini from the Venturi art school in Modena with Abbandono, Martina Petazzoni from the Venturi art school in Modena with Segnidi una vita, Melissa Cavina from the Persolino-Strocchi high school in Faenza with Certezze!, Francesco Liverani from the Persolino-Strocchi high school in Faenza with Hunter.
