The fourth edition of the AIPAI Photo Contest is underway, and for the third consecutive year we are partnering with the initiative by supporting the “Mecenati di Giovani Talenti” award [‘Patrons of Young Talent’ award]: our way of promoting young photographers and industrial heritage.

On 28 September 2025, the fourth edition of the AIPAI Photo Contest kicked off at the former Cartiera Latina in Rome. The contest is organised by AIPAI, the Italian Association for Industrial Archaeological Heritage ETS, in collaboration with DICEA - Sapienza University of Rome, Do.co.mo.mo Italia, Ministry of Culture - UNESCO Office, Appia Antica Archaeological Park, Appia Antica Regional Park, AEM Foundation, ISEC Foundation, Fondazione MAIRE – ETS, Musil Foundation, RoMe Museum Exhibition and Rete Fotografia.  

The contest is designed to raise awareness and promote industrial culture, the memory of work, and the architectural, technological and landscape heritage of industrial archaeology. It is open to professional and amateur photographers, temporary or permanent groups, and associations, with no age or nationality restrictions, who can recount, document and represent industrial heritage through a photographic project.

Two prizes of €1,000 each and one prize of €500 are up for grabs, and the winning and shortlisted photographs will be published in the magazine ‘Patrimonio Industriale’ and displayed in a travelling exhibition.

For the third consecutive year, the “Mecenati di giovani talenti” award [‘Patrons of Young Talent’ award], supported by the Fondazione MAIRE – ETS, has been confirmed. It is reserved for non-professional photographers under the age of 35. The winner will receive a work contract worth €1,000.00 with the Foundation to create a photographic campaign dedicated to the Foundation's historical and archival heritage.

New for this fourth edition is the introduction of the “Giampietro Agostini Award”, dedicated to the memory of the renowned photographer and member of the AIPAI Photo Contest jury, promoted in collaboration with Rete Fotografia and intended for a student at a photography school.

This edition of the competition invites photographers to develop one of the 12 thematic areas of research, outlined in the rules, ranging from machines to historical production cycles, from urban infrastructure to the social memory of work. Applications must be submitted by midnight on 8 December 2025 [later extended to 6 January 2026].

For more information and to discover all the editions and related initiatives, visit the dedicated landing page.

For all other information about the AIPAI Photo Contest 2023 and browse AIPAI website, click here.