Federica Torrenti Wins 2026 Luigi Ghirri Prize for Young Italian Photography

Federica Torrenti, a 27-year-old radiologist-in-training from Bologna, has won the 13th edition of Giovane Fotografia Italiana | Premio Luigi Ghirri, organized by the Comune di Reggio Emilia on the theme "Voci." Her project "La Fortezza" merges scientific research with visual language, earning a €4,000 prize and a future solo show at Triennale Milano. The jury praised her ability to map consciousness and dissolve the idea of an isolated mind. Torrenti, who is specializing in Diagnostic Imaging, sees a deep link between the clinical gaze and photography: both attempt to make the invisible visible. Her project also won Best Portfolio at Fotografia Europea 2025 and was selected for the Back and Forth program at Fonderia 20.9. Other winners include Karim El Maktafi (special mention for Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Stoccolma), Eva Rivas Bao (selected for Photo-Match at Fotofestiwal Łódź), and Anie Maki (portfolio reading program with Photoworks Brighton). In an interview, Torrenti discusses how her medical training informs her artistic practice, the philosophical concept of consciousness as an open spiral rather than a fortress, and the influence of Luigi Ghirri on her perception of reality.