URBAN Photo Awards & Trieste Photo Days 23/25 October2026 I am honoured to announce that my project "Storytelling Walls" has been selected in the Projects & Portfolios category of the URBAN Photo Awards 2026, earning me a place among the Selected Photographers of URBAN 2026.
https://www.urbanphotoawards.com/en/portfolionew/?id=11206%2Fmark-de-roeck%2Fstorytelling-walls
The selection leads to participation in the 13th edition of Trieste Photo Days – International Festival of Photography, taking place in Trieste, Italy, from 23–25 October 2026, with exhibitions running throughout the festival season from August 2026 onwards.
The URBAN Photo Awards is one of the few international photography competitions that extends far beyond online recognition. Rather than limiting selected works to digital publication, the festival offers photographers meaningful public visibility through carefully curated exhibitions presented across Trieste and the surrounding region.
As a Selected Photographer, my portfolio will be presented as a solo exhibition, with a dedicated exhibition space and accompanying information panel. The exhibition will become part of the official Trieste Photo Days programme and will be featured alongside the festival's wider network of events, including the Photo Days Tour and the Trieste Photo Fringe, bringing contemporary urban photography to cultural venues, galleries and public spaces throughout the city and beyond.
The final exhibition venue will be determined by the curatorial team, ensuring that each project is presented in the environment best suited to its visual narrative. Exhibitions generally remain on view for 30 to 60 days, allowing visitors to engage with the work long after the festival weekend has ended.
Every exhibition is professionally documented through a photographic report, published by both URBAN Photo Awards and Trieste Photo Days, while selected projects may also receive video coverage. Participants receive an official exhibition certificate, are listed in the Trieste Photo Days 2026 catalogue, and have a selection of their images published in the official URBAN Unveils photobook, distributed internationally.
For me, this selection is more than participation in a festival. It is an opportunity to share Storytelling Walls with an international audience, exploring the visual language of urban space, memory and human presence through photography. I look forward to presenting the project in Trieste and becoming part of this inspiring international community of photographers.
Mark De Roeck is a photographer whose passion for imagery began during his studies in graphic design and advertising. From the start, he focused on photography and, together with friends, established a studio where he experimented with lighting for black-and-white photos. His professional career began as an artistic director at an advertising agency, where he collaborated with various photographers specializing in different fields, such as fashion, interior design, architecture, and packaging design. This experience fueled his fascination with creating the right atmosphere and lighting for every subject.Over time, his interest in landscapes grew thanks to his travels through Central and North America and Australia. These explorations broadened his perspective and led him to view people not only as photographic subjects but also as elements integrated into specific situations. Mark De Roeck continues to combine his expertise in lighting with a fresh perspective on the interaction between individuals and their environment, creating images that capture unique moments and moods.
