Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition in Milan, celebrating 60 years

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the world’s most prestigious photography competition dedicated to nature, celebrates its 60th anniversary with an extraordinary edition and lands in Milan, at the Museo della Permanente, from Nov. 22, 2024 to Feb. 9, 2025. Organized by the Radicediunopercento Cultural Association with the patronage of the City of Milan and the support of LifeGate as media partner, the exhibition promises a unique experience. For the first time, in fact, the Milanese public will be able to admire the 100 winning and finalist images of the 2024 edition, presented at the same time as an exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London, which has been promoting the competition since its inception.

The exhibition offers a journey through a display that combines technology and art. The photographs, backlit on large LED panels, seem to come to life, revealing extraordinary details and vivid hues. This approach allows visitors to fully immerse themselves in the images, exploring the beauty and fragility of nature.

To complete the visual journey, a large 4-meter screen features a selection of 25 People’ s Choice Award-winning photos from the public. The video room will also feature documentaries, interviews with the photographers and exclusive content revealing the backgrounds of the award-winning images to delve deeper into the work of the professionals and enthusiasts who participated in the competition.

The exhibition runs through several thematic categories: Behavior: Mammals, Behavior: Birds, Behavior: Invertebrates, Behavior: Amphibians and Reptiles, Urban Wildlife, Animals in their Environment, Underwater, Oceans - the Overview, Animal Portraits, Wetlands - the Overview, Art of Nature, Plants and Fungi, and the three sections dedicated to the youngest: up to 10 years old,11-14 years old, 15-17 years old.

Then there are the documentary categories: Best Portfolio Award, Photojournalistic History Award, Rising Star Portfolio Award, Photojournalism, and the Audience Choices section presented in slideshow on a large screen.

Key players in the 2024 edition

Prominent among this year’s winners are photographs capable of chronicling the complexity and beauty of our planet. Shane Gross, a Canadian photojournalist, won the overall title withThe Swarm of Life, a shot capturing a fascinating group of western toad tadpoles while snorkeling in the waters of Cedar Lake on Vancouver Island. This species, close to the risk of extinction, is a symbol of the fragility of aquatic ecosystems. For the youth category, Germany’s Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas triumphed withLife Under Dead Wood, which shows in detail the coexistence of slime molds and collembolus, tiny invertebrates that jump with incredible speed. The focus stacking technique used to make the shot combines 36 images, each with a different area in focus, to reveal details invisible to the naked eye.

To mark its 60th anniversary, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year also introduced theImpact Award, a recognition dedicated to photographic stories that represent positive change or hope for the future. Among the winners, Australian Jannico Kelk stands out withHope for the Ninu, an image depicting a greater bilby in a fenced-in reserve to protect it from human-introduced predators such as foxes and cats. Young Liwia Pawłowska of Poland, on the other hand, won the Young Impact Award withRecording byHand, which captures a whitethroat during the ringing process, an essential technique for monitoring and protecting migratory bird populations.

Italy also shined in the 2024 edition: Fortunato Gatto won the Plants and Mushrooms category with Old Manof the Glen, which depicts a majestic twisted birch adorned with lichens in the pine forests of Glen Affric, Scotland. He also received two honorable mentions with High tide indicator and A carpet of woods. Filippo Carugati was awarded an honorable mention in the Underwater category forGreen, thin and rare to see, a shot capturing a rare needlefish in Italian waters.

During the exhibition, visitors will be able to participate in a number of activities: Guided tours: every Friday evening with Marco Colombo, an award-winning photographer; Thematic Thursdays in January: with experts such as Luca Eberle and Francesco Tomasinelli, who will address topics such as mimicry and the micromonde. In addition, Saturday evenings (h 9 p.m.) feature free meetings with big names in photography and popular science: Dec. 14: Federico Veronesi presents the book Walk the Earth; Dec. 21: a focus on octopuses, cuttlefish and squid with Marco Colombo and Francesco Tomasinelli; Jan. 11: Marco Andreini talks about the documentary Ogni volta che il lupo; Jan. 18: Pietro Formis explores the world of underwater photography with Luci dal Profondo.

Useful Information.

The exhibition will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with extended hours on Thursdays and Fridays until 10 p.m. Closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Tickets: full€ 15, Reduced € 13 (14-17 years, students, over 65), Children 6-13 years € 9, Free under 5 years. For more information, visit www.radicediunopercento.it.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition in Milan, celebrating 60 years

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.