We are pleased to announce the new exhibition ‘Unpublished Photo 2021’ at MUSEC in collaboration with 29 ARTS IN PROGRESS gallery, 24 large-format photographic prints by 4 winning photographers of Unpublished Photo, the yearly open call launched in 2018 by 29 ARTS IN PROGRESS gallery and addressed to all exceptionally talented photographers from all over the world.

The exhibition, housed in the renowned Spazio Maraini at Villa Malpensata in Lugano, presents four young talents selected in July by the international jury of the UP21 prize, chaired by the German photographer Han Georg Berger. The artists deal with topical issues such as biodiversity and the erosion of natural ecosystems, war conflicts, the recovery of tradition, and the importance of the link between past and present.

The winners ex aequo of the 1st prize, consisting of a grant of 5,000 Swiss francs, are the Vietnamese photographer Khanh Bui Phu and the young Syrian photographer Mouneb Taim.
Third place, also ex aequo, went to Indian photographer Avinash Mishra and Chinese photographer Li Zhang.

A special prize, awarded by Artphilein Editions of Lugano, which consists of the publication of a prestigious volume, went to Vietnamese photographer Khanh Bui Phu.

At the end of the exhibition, the works exhibited will become part of the MUSEC collections, thus enriching the MUSEC photographic collections which now numbers over 40,000 works from the mid-19th century to the present day.

In 2020, MUSEC wanted to consolidate the initiative by giving it an institutional framework and a medium-long term development perspective, with the aim of highlighting the main international trends in young art photography. MUSEC’s intention is also to establish an archive of contemporary photography in Lugano, which will be housed alongside the museum’s existing collection of 19th century and exotic photography.