Acea Contemporary Prize: winners and the water-themed exhibition

The inaugural Acea Contemporary Prize highlights young artists who explore the value and sustainability of water through painting, sculpture, photography, digital art, performance, design and fashion. Selected works join the Acea Heritage collection at the historic Piazzale Ostiense venue.

Winners and highlighted projects

• Rucsanda Cristache (Academy of Fine Arts of Rome) – "Flowing": an installation that evokes water’s fragility through geometric references and a balance between material and movement.
• Silvia Spoti (Academy of Fine Arts of Rome) – "La misura dell’acqua": a project examining river transformation and reduced flow caused by water scarcity.
• Valerio Pacini (Academy of Fine Arts of Rome) – "240 Liters (way of finding)": a site-specific installation reflecting on individual water footprint using a 240-litre tank.
• Giorgia Armario (Accademia Italiana) – "What will become of us, what will become of the snow?": a photographic project on climate change and declining snowfall.
• Special mention: Lars Lattacher (Accademia Italiana) for "Acea Heritage Box", an educational project combining art and environmental awareness.

About the prize

The initiative intends to bridge business and contemporary artistic research, giving visibility to emerging practices and using art to stimulate awareness and reflection on resource sustainability and ESG themes.

Practical info

Finalist works are included in a permanent collective exhibition at Acea Heritage. The public can visit the exhibition for free on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May 2026; some of the student artists will be present for guided encounters and discussions.