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HomeTop NewsMax Cavallari wins URBAN Press Award 2024 with Drowned Choice, capturing the tragic floods of Emilia Romagna

Max Cavallari wins URBAN Press Award 2024 with Drowned Choice, capturing the tragic floods of Emilia Romagna

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Photo © © Max Cavallari - Drowned Choice:


Max Cavallari wins URBAN Press Award 2024 with Drowned Choice, capturing the tragic floods of Emilia Romagna

Max Cavallari has been honored with the URBAN Press Award 2024 for his striking project, Drowned Choice. This powerful work provides a poignant exploration of the catastrophic floods that ravaged Emilia Romagna in May 2023. Cavallari’s evocative visual narrative captures the profound impact of this historic flood, showcasing a landscape altered into a surreal tableau of submerged towns and disrupted lives.

Through his lens, Cavallari not only reveals the immediate devastation but also addresses broader issues of climate change and environmental neglect, highlighting the urgent need for reflection on our interaction with the environment.

The winning project

Here are the author’s words on Drowned Choice:

“In May 2023, Emilia Romagna region was hit by the most extensive flood our nation has ever experienced. In just a few days, an area of tens of square kilometers found itself submerged by meters of water.  Many towns found themselves with water channels instead of roads, lakes instead of squares, swimming pools instead of basements and garages. The damages are still incalculable, after a year you can still see the marks that the flood left in those territories. A whole landscape that has been completely changed in its urban structure and the complex social systems of the towns we are used to living in. Climate change and neglect of the land were the main factors that allowed this tragedy to occur, both of which can be traced solely and exclusively to one cause: the human being and his tracotence to be superior to the environment around him, which leads him to make wrong choices every time.”

About the author

Max Cavallari (b. 1989) is a documentary photographer based in Bologna, Italy. His work with Getty Images and ANSA, along with collaborations with various Italian and international publications, focuses on migration, technology, and environmental issues. Cavallari’s photography delves into the complex relationship between people and their environments, aiming to shed light on pressing global issues.

Discover more about Max Cavallari and his impactful work on his website and follow him on Instagram @max_cavallari.

Recent Awards and Exhibitions

  • 2024: Exhibition at VISA Pour L’Image, Perpignan; Exhibition at Gisira Festival, Siracusa; Honorable Mention at Best Photography Awards; Exhibition at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris; Shortlisted at Perimetro Awards.
  • 2023: Shortlisted at Bartur Photo Award; Shortlisted at Festival Fotografia Etica; Honorable Mention at Best Photography Awards; First Prize at World Water Day Photo Contest.
  • 2022: First Prize at Igers Italia; Bronze at reFocus Award; Exhibitions with LIFE FRAMER and COVIDIARES.
  • 2021: Sauti Mpya assignment in Tanzania; Collective Exhibitions at Photolux-Fest and ARCIPELAGO-19; Honorable Mention at IPA 2021.
  • 2020: Second Prize at LIFE FRAMERS; Editor’s Pick for HUMANS OF THE WORLD award; Honorable Mention at Bartur Photo Award.

URBAN Press Award 2024 committee

The choice for this year’s URBAN Press Award was made by a distinguished committee of experts in the photography and editorial fields. We extend our gratitude to the jury members:

  • Arthur Dayras – Head of partnerships at The Eye of Photography
  • Emanuele Costanzo – Founder and Director of FOTO Cult
  • Federica Berzioli – Il Fotografo Italian magazine Editorial coordinator
  • Merel Galestian  – CEO and co-founder ARTDOC Photography
  • Michael Kirchoff – Photographer and Editor-in-Chief at Analog Forever Magazine
  • Philippe Litzler – OpenEye magazine Editor-in-chief
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