Paal Anand wins second prize at the Chianciano Biennale

Paal Anand’s monochrome mythological photograph Heracles Hurls Lichas took second prize at the 9th Chianciano Biennale in Tuscany, placing the Culver City artist among the show’s top honorees. The award adds to a busy international run for Anand, whose work has appeared in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Shanghai and soon Barcelona and Venice.

Why it matters: - The award gives Paal Anand a major juried honor at a European biennial that judges work through an open call and prizes art on its merit alone. - Heracles Hurls Lichas is part of Anand’s Mythiq series, which extends his profile in monochrome fine-art photography and myth-based imagery. - The recognition adds momentum to a year of exhibitions and institutional visibility across Europe and the U.S.

What happened: - Paal Anand won second prize at the 9th Chianciano Biennale for Heracles Hurls Lichas, a large-format monochrome photograph. - The work was shown at the Chianciano Art Museum and 13 historic galleries in Chianciano Terme, Tuscany, during the Biennale from 15 to 29 August 2026. - The Biennale is both an exhibition and a juried competition with first, second and third places across award categories.

The details: - Heracles Hurls Lichas reimagines the Greek myth in which the dying Heracles, poisoned by the Shirt of Nessus, seizes his herald Lichas and throws him into the sea. - Anand’s high-contrast monochrome style aims to turn classical marble-like stillness into the physical tension of living bodies at the instant of release. - The photograph has also been exhibited at the Arte Laguna Prize 20th Anniversary Exhibition in Shanghai. - Anand said the image captures an irreversible act and that the recognition in Italy carried special meaning because of the country’s sculptural tradition. - The Chianciano Biennale is organized by London’s Gagliardi Gallery and staged across the Museo d’Arte di Chianciano, about 3,000 square metres of gallery space, and 13 restored galleries in the town’s medieval centre. - The event is open to living artists worldwide, with no restriction on theme, medium or style. - Its awards include cash prizes for Best Work and for painting, sculpture and installation, work on paper, and digital and photographic work, plus first, second and third prizes for figurative, abstract, applied, and photographic and digital art.

Between the lines: - The prize signals that Anand’s mythological work is landing with juries outside the U.S., not just in gallery settings. - The selection also reinforces how contemporary photography can compete in a competition that spans painting, sculpture, installation and digital media. - Anand’s practice blends classical imagery with modern production methods, which helps the work move between fine art photography, installation and museum-style exhibition.

What's next: - Anand is set to take part in the Barcelona Art Biennial at the Museu Europeu d’Art Modern this autumn. - He will also serve as a presenter and ambassador for the Arte Laguna Prize in Venice. - His broader 2026 exhibition run includes the Graphis Best100 Exhibition in San Francisco and the immersive Hospital of Emotions project in Los Angeles.

The bottom line: - Heracles Hurls Lichas has moved from a single artwork into a wider marker of Anand’s international standing.