2026 EDITION OF THE NOVOBANCO REVELAÇÃO PRIZE
novobanco and the Serralves Foundation are pleased to announce that Laura Palma (Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal, 1998) is the winner of the 18th edition of the novobanco Revelação Award, one of Portugal's leading awards dedicated to contemporary photography.
The winner was selected by the artistic leadership of the Serralves Museum, comprising Philippe Vergne (Museum Director until July 2026), Inês Grosso (Chief Curator) and Ricardo Nicolau (Deputy Director), from a group of emerging photographers nominated by a dedicated committee.
Laura Palma's practice, largely centred on portraits of her circle of friends, was recognised for its exploration of identity and representation. According to the jury, her work reflects an ongoing inquiry into the construction of selfhood, suggesting that portraits made by the artist can also be understood as self-portraits. Through the people she photographs, Palma multiplies perspectives on identity, challenging the notion of a single and stable personality.
As the winner of the 2026 novobanco Revelação Award, Laura Palma will present a new site-specific project at the Serralves Museum. The exhibition is scheduled to open on 17 November 2026. The award also includes a publication produced by Serralves as part of the new editorial collection associated with the award, further strengthening the visibility and international projection of emerging artists.
Throughout the development of the exhibition, the teams of novobanco and Serralves will work closely with the artist, supporting all stages of planning, production and communication.
Born in Vila Franca de Xira in 1998, Laura Palma began her photography studies at Escola Artística António Arroio and later earned a degree in Photography from Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias in Lisbon. She also studied at Ar.Co Lisboa.
Palma has worked regularly with analogue photography since 2016. In 2021, she completed an internship at LESMA - Festival de Fotografia Lenta, organised by Sofia Silva and Paula Lourenço. In 2025, she participated in the project Lisboa Mesma Outra Cidade II, coordinated by Catarina Botelho and David-Alexandre Guéniot and published by Ghost Editions.
She is currently preparing her first photography book.
Since its relaunch in 2024 under a renewed format alternating annually between Portuguese and international artists, the novobanco Revelação Award has continued its mission of supporting emerging talents dedicated to contemporary photography.
Following the selection of Portuguese photographer Miguel Marquês in 2024 and Brazilian artist Helena Ramos in 2025, the 2026 edition returns to Portugal with the distinction awarded to Laura Palma, while maintaining the award's international outlook and Serralves' commitment to promoting emerging artists from different geographies.
The selection process is based on a rigorous evaluation of portfolios nominated by leading artists, curators and academics, with particular emphasis on originality, conceptual relevance and the ability of the work to engage with contemporary cultural and social challenges.
For novobanco, photography remains a strategic pillar of its cultural commitment to society. This commitment is also reflected in the novobanco Photography Collection, one of the most significant contemporary corporate photography collections, comprising more than 1,000 works by approximately 300 artists from different generations and nationalities.
The novobanco Revelação Award therefore reaffirms the bank's long-standing investment in contemporary photography and its active role in supporting artistic creation.
For the Serralves Foundation, this partnership is fully aligned with its mission to foster interest and knowledge of Contemporary Art among audiences of all backgrounds and ages, reinforcing Serralves' position as a leading institution for Contemporary Art in Portugal and internationally.
