Santo António: Feast of Fire, Faith, and Fish

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  Martin Miklas, Slovakia (Slovak Republic)
• Studio
  mARTinstudio.sk
• Website
  https://miklasmartin.com
• Instagram
  https://www.instagram.com/miklas.photo

Each June, Lisbon ignites with faith, fire, and festivity during the Festa de Santo António. The sardine—grilled, shared, revered—becomes more than food; it is a living symbol of humility, memory, and cultural identity. Smoke rises through the city’s narrow streets, music spills from balconies, and devotion takes the form of small gestures: passing bread, lighting candles, dancing in the heat. This series explores Lisbon as a sacred everyday theatre, where tradition lives through scent, rhythm, and repetition. In charred silver and flickering light, joy and heritage burn side by side.

Martin Miklas is Lisbon-based conceptual, documentary and fine art lens-based visual artist from Bratislava.
The Slovak photographer is passionately interested in important topics such as climate change and its side effects on marine biodiversity. His lenses focus on the negative impact of global warming on the fishing industry, especially from a socio-economic and ecological point of view.
Martin is alumn of the 2022-23 VII Photo Masterclass and proud father of two (full-time dad at the paternity leave).

Awards * 2024 - PX3 - Prix de la Photographie Paris - State of the World 2024 - Shortlist
* 2024 - Monoawards - 2x nomination + Honorable Mention
* 2024 - SDN - Social Documentary Network - The Curated Shed - Selected portfolio
* 2024 - Spider Award - Shortlist - Honorable Mention https://vimeo.com/1085686458
* 2024 - Emergentes Portfolio Reviews 2024- Encontros da Imagem - Selected Artist for Portfolios Reviews
* 2024 - Lucie Foundation Heritage Open Call - Finalist
* 2024 - Grenze Arsenali Fotografici - International Open Call Winner
* 2024 - B&W IPA - Winner - B&W Photographer of the Year 2024
* 2024 - Fotofestival Lenzburg - Single Image International Open Call Winner
* 2024 - Czech Nature Photo - Animals in Human Care category 1st Place Winner
* 2024 - MIA Photo Fair Milano - International Open Call Winner
* 2024 - Project Selection by Jérôme Sessini (MAGNUM) for Trieste Photo Days 2024 - 1st place Winner
* 2024 - Exposure Photography Festival 2024 - Contemporary Calgary, Canada - International Open Call Winner
* 2023 - SDN - Social Documentary Network - The Curated Shed - Selected portfolio
* 2023 - SPP - SLOVAK PRESS PHOTO 2023 - Portrait category 1st place Winner
* 2023 - IPA - Lucie Foundation - International Photography Awards - Editorial / Press-Photo Essay / Feature Story - Honorable Mention
* 2023 - SPP - SLOVAK PRESS PHOTO 2023 - Environment and Nature international category - Nomination / Finalist
* 2023 - SPP - SLOVAK PRESS PHOTO 2023 - Portrait category - Manuela of Nazaré - Nomination / Finalist
* 2023 - GPA - Great Photography Awards 2023 - Black & White World International Photo Competition - Minimalism - Runner Up + Honorable mention
* 2023 - STF - Shoot The Face International Photography Awards - Finalist 2x
* 2023 - Emergentes - Internacional Photography Award Encontros da Imagem - selected for Portfolios Readings
* 2023 - IPA - Lucie Foundation - International Photography Awards - Nature - Macro - Official Selection