EUROPA 2022

EUROPE, the old continent, our point of reference

Today, we present EUROPA, Internacional Foto Circuit, a new circuit with a history that goes back 50 years. In fact, this “new” circuit is an update of the Europa exhibition that was created in 1973 by whom was FIAP President, Enric Pàmies, HonEFIAP (Reus, 1923 – 2014).

That previous Europa exhibition was held from 1973 to 1993, then was totally renovated and adapted to new technologies. It was brought back 10 years ago, in 2012, and has now been turned into a circuit. However, it has kept the same spirit from the beginning. In 2012, we said:

“Catalonia has historically always looked towards Europe. As a transit country, it has always received and incorporated all the influences that came from the north. The country has always felt like an integral part of the old continent. In this spirit, when naming an international photography exhibition, we chose the name with which we feel so identified: Europa”.

Thus, it was turned into a circuit, but with the same spirit of projecting the name of Reus and Catalonia towards Europe and the whole world. As a circuit, however, we now wanted to involve three cultural organisations from our immediate vicinity that have also been working on photography for many years.

Centre d’Estudis Riudomencs Arnau de Palomar (CERAP) in Riudoms, Baix Camp, is an organisation with more than 40 years of history whose motto is “Culture is freedom”. It awards a photography prize dedicated to local issues that was enthusiastically welcomed to be part of the new circuit.

The Agrupació Fotogràfica d’Alforja, Baix Camp, which dates back to 1956, has aimed to recover the prestigious Puigcerver Medal through our circuit that was held on the national level from 1956 to 2014.

By participating in our circuit, the Foment Parroquial de Cultura in Vimbodí i Poblet, Conca de Barberà, wanted to give continuity to the Vila de Vimbodí exhibition that had been convened for the last time in 2004 after 35 uninterrupted years in the exhibition scene across the country.

It is with all this background and history that this new EUROPA circuit arose as an evolution of the old Europa exhibition, regaining a long photographic tradition of the organisations that have joined it.

The commitment to evolution has paid off, as participation in this new circuit has been significant. We have received 3,670 works from 264 photographic artists coming from 42 countries around the world.

We thank the photographers, but also the judges, because without them, this project would not exist. We’ll see you again in 2023!

Josep M Casanoves Dolcet, AFIAP, EsFIAP
Chairman of EUROPA Internacional Foto Circuit
Director of the FIAP Exhibition Centre at CIMIR in Reus