Una Europa Student Visual Art Contest 2025 Awarded to Caterina Bagioni

Caterina Bagioni, a student on the European Studies bachelor's degree at the University of Bologna, is among the winners of the Una Europa Student Visual Art Contest 2025. Promoted by Una Europa — the alliance that brings together eleven leading European universities, including the University of Bologna — the contest invites students to reflect, through the visual arts, on unity and shared cultural heritage within European higher education.

Her work, How Did I Get Here?, is a visual narrative expressing the value of intercultural connections, transnational learning experiences, and personal memory as integral parts of Europe’s cultural heritage. Through intimate and symbolic imagery, the artist retraces her academic path between Bologna, Madrid, and her hometown of Ravenna, offering a broader reflection on belonging, collective growth, and connection.

“Sometimes we forget that it’s not just the destination that matters, but the small steps that take us there,” says Caterina. “My work tells the story of the journey we share, in a Europe built on relationships, places, and cultural exchange.”

The collage weaves together fragments of her academic life — from the porticoed streets of Bologna to the sea of Ravenna and her current study experience in Madrid — capturing the sense of transformation that comes from studying across borders. The images portray friendships born within Una Europa, such as those with students from Finland and Poland, highlighting how intercultural encounters enrich and build a shared heritage.

Through her photographs, Caterina Bagioni invites us to reflect on how every step, meeting, and cultural exchange contributes to shaping both personal and collective European identities.

“Taking part in the contest was a creative, stimulating, and thought-provoking experience,” says Caterina. “To me, Una Europa means sharing, empathy, and mutual growth. With my collage, I want to show how collaboration and friendship can build bridges that allow us to grow together.”

The winning works of the Una Europa Student Visual Art Contest 2025 will be showcased in a travelling exhibition across the universities of the alliance, opening in Madrid on 21 October and continuing to Zurich, Paris, Bologna, Helsinki, Krakow, and Leuven. The exhibition will also be presented at the Una Europa Student Congress 2025, hosted by Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne in November.