Night nominee

Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain. First mentioned in Islamic chronicles about 1345, it was taken by the Portuguese (1521) and by the Persians (1602). It has been held, with brief interruptions, by the ruling Āl Khalīfah dynasty since 1783, with British political influence from 1900 until the country became independent in 1971.The discovery of petroleum on Bahrain in 1932 revolutionized the city’s economy and appearance, with the construction of many modern buildings designed by international architecture studios. Still unknown to a greater audience, its skyline facing the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean has an innovative green approach that has quickly evolved into a study of the multifaceted relationship between people and their environment, shaped by factors ranging from the city's historical roots to the behaviors and lifestyles of its inhabitants. This practice, to bridge gaps in urban development and contribute to the city's growth while respecting its organic evolution, makes Manama a multinational and outward-looking location to be discovered.

Francesca Pompei, graduated with honour in Philosophy, is a photographer focused on arts and architectural images, member of the board of National Association of Professional Photographers-TAU Visual from 2014 to 2020, artist of the Giornata del Contemporaneo- Italian Contemporary Art 2021 and included among the Exceptional Women In Architecture Photography.
Her work is in the permanent collection of the Fondazione Dario Mellone in Milan and it is online on LensCulture, blink, Dodho, Fondo Malerba per la Fotografia, L’Oeil de la photographie, Saatchi Art, Aesthetica Magazine, All About Photo, OpenEye, Glamour Affair, Artribune, Il Giornale dell’Architettura, Exibart, Marika Magazine, Iconic Artist Magazine, Aesthetics of Photography, Perimetro, Artdoc Photography Magazine, Better Photography, Designboom, CNN Arabic, The Times and The Guardian. Among the artists selected to celebrate Italy’s Republic Day 2020 and 2021, she is winner of prestigious competitions such as The Art of Building and the Architecture MasterPrize 2022 and 2023. Her work is included in the Annuario d'Arte Italiana 2022 promoted by Quadriennale di Roma and published by Treccani. She is a member of PhotoVogue and she is Photography Tutor and Photography Subject Expert at the faculty of Architecture of Sapienza University in Rome.