Visual artist Silvana Mendes has been awarded first prize in the 14th edition of the Prix Photo Aliança Francesa, one of Brazil’s most prestigious contemporary photography awards. Her winning series, “Afetocolagem”, captivated the jury with its poetic and powerful exploration of memory, identity, and affective imagery.

As the grand prize winner, Mendes will take part in a two-month artistic residency in France at Diaphane – Pôle Photographique en Hauts-de-France, with a grant of €6,000 sponsored by Initial Labo (FR/BR). In a significant recognition of her work, six photographs from the series will be acquired for the “Un fonds photographique brésilien à la BnF” collection at the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF).

The award also includes an international flight provided by Air France, and a comprehensive professional development programme in collaboration with the Réseau Diagonal, offering Mendes valuable networking opportunities within the French photography scene.

In addition to Mendes, the jury also honoured Ode da Silva with second place for her series “A rose and a prayer”, and Bárbara Lissa Alves de Campos, who took third place with “Estrangeiras dos trópicos”. The three photographers were selected from a wide range of submissions from across the country.

Organised by the network of Alianças Francesas in Brazil, with institutional support from the French Embassy, the Prix Photo Aliança Francesa aims to highlight emerging photographic voices whose works engage with current global issues through original, experimental, and critical approaches. The 2025 edition was made possible with support from Ateliê Oriente (BR), FotoRio (BR), Porto de Cultura (BR), UFRJ, UERJ, FIP, and various cultural partners in France and Brazil.

Congratulations, Silvana!