The LensCulture Portrait Awards 2026 have announced their winning and shortlisted photographers, showcasing a diverse range of styles from documentary realism to conceptual invention. Highlights include an Australian photographer's winning portrait of a 'barefoot volcanologist' and poignant series documenting the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the reclamation of identity in post-colonial contexts.
Curator Miranda Lee is redefining the presentation of digital and physical art by prioritizing "spatial practice" and the ethics of attention over the art world's typical demand for speed and novelty. Through major projects like RECRAFTED and the MULT Island virtual platform, Lee designs exhibition layouts and digital environments that incorporate "pause points," encouraging viewers to linger and reflect rather than succumb to frictionless scrolling. Her work spans physical galleries in Shanghai and London, as well as immersive virtual spaces, consistently focusing on how identity is staged across different environments.
Kengo Kuma : « La première fois qu’une architecture m’a ému, c’était celle d’une église »
Renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma discusses his design philosophy and his recent intervention at the Angers Cathedral in France. He emphasizes a "dialogue with the place" over architectural ego, focusing on topography, local materials, and the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in the aging of materials over time. Kuma reflects on how his first emotional encounter with architecture occurred in a Christian chapel as a child, an experience that continues to inform his use of light and verticality.
Come si fa maglieria etica? Il fondatore del brand milanese Vitelli ci spiega
Mauro Simionato, founder of the Milanese brand Vitelli, discusses the evolution of his label as it returns from a year-long hiatus. Known for its 'Doomboh' regenerative process, Vitelli utilizes recovered yarns and vintage 1980s machinery to transform knitwear into a medium for aesthetic and cultural experimentation. The brand draws heavy inspiration from the 'Gioventù Cosmica' counterculture scene, blending music, material culture, and inclusive community-building into its production model.