There are images that, more than others, manage to tell what is happening in the world. Some have become emblematic, are included in school books and are part of the cultural heritage of each of us. These are the shots taken by photojournalists, reporters who, thanks to a passion comparable to a vocation, have for years been bearing witness to wars, political and social changes, inequalities and the violation of human rights. It is by looking at their work that we fully understand the power of photography, which goes where no other medium can go, touching us to the core. 

To underline the importance of photojournalists, especially at a time when communication passes especially through images, the first edition of IMP, the International Festival of Photojournalism, was held in Padua in 2019. In the wake of its success, the Culture Department of the City of Padua and the University of Padua have been working on the second edition of the event, which opened last week and will remain open to the public until Sunday 27 June. 

“The idea behind the IMP Festival is the conviction that photojournalism today is the quickest access to stories and international debates capable of connecting the four corners of the world, a way of making everyone aware of their fundamental role even in the most controversial and geographically distant issues.” – RICCARDO BONONI, Photojournalist and Artistic Director of IMP

The works of 30 international authors will be exhibited in the city’s most prestigious museums and, in order to learn more about their work, the festival programme also includes a series of workshops, readings and meetings with guests such as journalist Domenico Quirico, who survived a five-month kidnapping in Syria. 

One of the main exhibitions will be the MAGNUM Photos exhibition, featuring the work of some of the world’s most renowned photojournalists, from Miguel Candela, who shot the latest protests in Hong Kong, to the famous Italian photographer Tony Gentile, author of the portrait of Falcone and Borsellino. 

The IMP also gives space to young talent by presenting an exhibition of some of the year’s best work. 

“We are proud to reaffirm, also in 2021, Padua as the international capital of auteur photojournalism, through a festival that already in its first editions has become an essential reference point for professionals and enthusiasts.” – ANDREA COLASIO, Councillor for Culture of the Municipality of Padua

See below some shots of the photojournalists on show and visit the IMP website for all the details.