Alejandro Cartagena Wins IILA-FotoGrafia Prize for Carpooling Series

Dominican photographer Alejandro Cartagena has won the IILA-FotoGrafia Prize for young Latin American photographers at the 11th edition of the FotoGrafia – Festival Internazionale di Roma. His series Los Car Poolers documents Mexican workers carpooling to their jobs in Monterrey, capturing them from above as they ride in the backs of pickup trucks and vans. The images were shot from two overpasses along a busy road leading south toward San Pedro, using a digital camera to capture moving subjects at speeds of 10–15 meters per second. The project highlights the economic and environmental benefits of carpooling, as well as the challenges of commuting in sprawling urban areas. The jury was chaired by Sylvia Irrazábal (IILA Cultural Secretary) and Marco Delogu (Artistic Director of FotoGrafia), and included photographers Massimo Ciampa, Teresa Emanuele, Rosetta Messori, and curator Valentina Tanni.