From 28 August to 28 September 2025, Ragusa Ibla, a baroque gem in the Val di Noto and a UNESCO World Heritage site, transforms into a grand open-air art gallery for the thirteenth edition of the Ragusa Photo Festival, Sicily’s premier international showcase of contemporary photography. Conceived and directed by Stefania Paxhia, a journalist and social researcher, with the artistic direction of photographer Massimo Siragusa, the festival marries artistic exploration with a celebration of the local area, turning Ragusa’s oldest quarter into a sprawling exhibition platform. Shows are hosted in historic venues like Palazzo Cosentini, Palazzo La Rocca, and the Auditorium San Vincenzo Ferreri, as well as the verdant heart of the Giardino Ibleo, the festival’s headquarters, delving into the theme “Beyond Appearances,” an invitation to ponder inner life as a key to navigating change and finding balance.
International artists such as Jessica Backhaus, Stefano De Luigi, Charles Fréger, Maria Lax, Maud Rallière, Alessia Rollo, Johannes Seyerlein, and Cristina Vatielli present works that make the unseen visible, joined by Francesca Todde, the star of an artist residency supported by the Cesare and Doris Zipelli Foundation, alongside projects by Flora Mariniello, winner of the 2024 Best Portfolio Award, and Antonello Ferrara. The four opening days, from 28 to 31 August, offer a packed programme of portfolio reviews, workshops, seminars, talks, screenings, and book launches, featuring experts like Benedetta Donato, Denis Curti, Tiziana Faraoni, and Irene Alison, culminating in the Best Portfolio Award, which comes with a cash prize and an exhibition at the next edition. A highlight is the presentation of a facsimile reprint of Luigi Ghirri’s “Journey in Italy,” followed by a screening of the film “Journey in Italy Twenty Years Later.
” The festival introduces two open calls: one for analogue photography with Analog Milano and another for the OFF Circuit, curated by Emanuela Alfano and Alfredo Corrao with the ASA 25 Photographic Circle, while also engaging students from Rome’s IED in creating an interdisciplinary exhibition. Workshops range from documentary photography with Alessia Rollo to photographic publishing with Claudio Corrivetti, archival training with Alfredo Corrao, and a creative journey with Angelo Raffaele Turetta during the San Giovanni festival. Endorsed by the Italian UNESCO Commission and the Ministry of Culture, the festival is produced by the APS Antiruggine Association with support from the Sicily Region, Ragusa Municipality, Fondazione Sicilia, Banca Agricola Popolare di Ragusa, and Sony as a technical partner. A distinguished scientific committee, including figures like Aldo Bonomi, Mirja Cartia, and Velasco Vitali, ensures quality and vision.
