Exhibition of the Photographic Race of Portimão opened without applause, speeches or family photo

By Elisabete Rodrigues • December 13, 2020 - 9:48

The exhibition will be on display at the Portimão Museum until the 25th of April

Francisco Martins, the big winner of this 20th Photographic Race, posing in front of his award-winning images

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It was a different opening, a different exhibition, in a year like no memory. The exhibition of the winning works of the 20th Photographic Race of Portimão opened this Saturday morning, at the Museu da Cidade, but this time there was no prize-giving, no applause, no greetings and speeches. Much less family photo.

The theme of this special edition of the Photographic Race had already been the strange times of Covid-19, so that the Museum of Portimão, which organizes the event, with this initiative, could contribute to recording the memory of the pandemic through the photographs sent by competitors. The sub-themes themselves invited: "Strange Times", "Signs of Distance", "Places of Hope" and "Solidarity".

In this «period of so difficult and strong social embarrassment», a large part of the works competing and awarded by the jury are in black and white. José Gameiro, scientific director of the Portimão Museum and president of the jury, commented: "we didn't ask for that, but I think that these times we live in have led most photographers to choose black and white, which better reflects the current situation."

Because there was no official opening – for sanitary reasons – some of the winners and other contestants visited the exhibition throughout the day, to see the result of their effort printed in large size. One of them was precisely the winner of the 1st prize, Francisco Martins, who is, by the way, the most awarded competitor over the twenty years of this Photographic Race.

The winners of this edition are: 1st – Francisco Martins Prize; 2nd – Elsa Martins Award; 3rd Prize – José Oliveira; 4th Prize – Hugo Esteves; “Youth Award” – Matilde Gonçalves.

In addition to these categories, the exhibition also includes the “Special Jury Prize”, awarded to Gonçalo Caetano, as well as the two best photographs of each of the four themes mentioned.

The exhibition, part of the Portimão City Day commemorations, is open until April 25th, and can also be seen on the Portimão Museum website.

Yesterday also opened, in another room of the museum, the exhibition “Bem-Vinda Sejas Amália”, in homage to the great fado diva, which can be seen until 10 January. It is also available online at Portimão Museum website.

Photos: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação