And The Winner Is…

Words by Belmond Editors
A man in red-striped shirt and beige trousers kneels by a woman in a black lace dress, apparently floating above the floor.

The Belmond Photographic Residency, now in its second year, has crowned a new winner. Meet Tara L. C. Sood and her award-winning submission. 

Following an intensive few days of judging in New York, an internationally renowned jury has awarded Tara L. C. Sood the Belmond Photographic Residency 2026. Tara’s winning submission, titled The Great Mandrake Magic Convention, is a photo series celebrating India’s historic art of magic. Shot in nostalgic sites like memorial halls and old single-screen cinemas, it features magicians aged 13 to 75 performing classic illusions such as levitation and escapes, blending staged and documentary photography. The project explores performance and heritage, while also delving into post-colonial themes and the legacy of Indian magic appropriated by the West. 

The jury comprised of internationally recognised voices in the photography world, including photographers Tyler Mitchell, Kathy Ryan and Colin Dodgson, writer Kimberley Drew, co-founder of RVB Books Mathieu Charon and Lydia Melamed Johnson, Executive Director of AIPAD. 

Tara L. C. Sood is a Franco-Indian photographer and filmmaker based between London, Paris and India. Her work, which is mostly character-driven, often blurs the lines between staged and documentary, with a cinematic point of view. Favouring darkroom handprints, archival elements and the use of a rich colour palette that is telling of her Indian heritage, her personal work searches to create a new way of understanding and discarding tropes of the past. She brings forward the same intrinsically surreal style to her fashion and commercial work. 

Sood will receive an all-expenses residency at Belmond’s Villa Sant’ Andrea next year, leading to a print publication with RVB Books, a photography showcase in a major global city, mentorship from Belmond's network of photographic experts and a financial award.   

Explore her winning submission below. 

An Indian ventriloquist in a pink shirt and sage trousers sits on a large, curved banquette with his dummy on his knee.
A magician in a black suit releases a white dove in front of a seated children in front of Gnanabhaskara Public School.
A woman and boy pose with a basket on a stage with a red curtain and broken 'India' sign at a magic convention in Bangalore.
Two magicians fix locks to a water tank containing a submerged boy in Tara L. C. Sood's The Great Mandrake Magic Convention.
Illusionist Nikhil Raj stands bare-chested in water with a white budgerigar sitting on his outstretched hand, seen from above.
A white dove with wings raised and touching above its head faces the camera as it sits on the hand of a magician, close-up.
A magician in white levitates a woman in a purple on a red cushion on stage during The Great Mandrake show, seen from afar.
A group of school children with lanyards watch intensely as something happens off camera, in a close-up by Tara L. C. Sood.
A black cockerel with a red comb and bronze head feathers stands sideways on table top, a beady eye on the camera.
A red, blue, green and yellow inflatable slide with a Mickey Mouse-like figure fills a hall with an ornate carved mezzanine.
Magician Shankar Junior stands in an empty, tiled room in a maroon jacket and black trousers, reflected in a wall mirror.
A woman with dark hair and a red dress levitates a rope so it stands high above her head by a tall platform in a large room.

Delve deeper into

You might also enjoy

The Niterói Contemporary Art Museum stands on the eastern headland of Boa Viagem beach, like a recently landed UFO

An Art & Design Lover’s Guide to Rio de Janeiro

From the tiled steps of Escadaria Selarón to hillside ateliers and bay-front museums, Rio de Janeiro is a city where modernism, music and tropical landscape collide. Discover Darcie Imbert’s guide to the artistic metropolis, featuring iconic works by Oscar Niemeyer and Roberto Burle Marx.

Read More - An Art & Design Lover’s Guide to Rio de Janeiro
Camelids graze in the open plains of the Altiplano, dwarfed by the snowy ridges and peaks of the La Raya mountain ranges.

Holy Mountain

Mountains are an incredibly important symbol in Incan history and Andean culture — both geographically and culturally. Join us as we climb through the history of the Andean mountains, learning how indigenous people are maintaining ties to their natural and spiritual surroundings.

Read More - Holy Mountain
Baz Luhrmann, in black, and Catherine Martin in burgundy with glasses, look through designs in a busy art studio.

Celia, the British Pullman Carriage by Baz Luhrmann & Catherine Martin

Drawing inspiration from a broad sweep of theatrical history – from Shakespeare to Laurence Olivier – director Baz Luhrmann and cinematic designer Catherine Martin have created a dazzling new private dining carriage for the British Pullman. Here, we explore the story, process and craft behind the carriage Celia.

Read More - Celia, the British Pullman Carriage by Baz Luhrmann & Catherine Martin
An intricate artwork made from individual ink brushstrokes in black, grey and shades of purple, by artist Wu Jian'an.

How 500 Brushstrokes Become One

“Human encounters are truly magical.” In an era shaped by artificial intelligence and rapid technological change, this reflection by Chinese artist Wu Jian’an feels quietly radical. It also serves as the emotional core of 500 Brushstrokes in Peru, his ambitious travelogue and participatory art project, soon to be exhibited at Art SG Singapore.

Read More - How 500 Brushstrokes Become One
Elena Carozzi, with chignon-ed blond hair looks for pigments on an art shelf, seen from behind in her busy wallpaper studio.

The Artisans Reimagining Florence’s Finest Hotel

Italy’s ultimate retreat and Renaissance haven, Villa San Michele occupies a privileged perch on the hills overlooking Florence. Set within the original monastery and gardens, every space is designed to deepen the connection to Florence’s breathtaking landscape and rich culture. Discover the artisans reviving this Renaissance legend, reopening in Spring 2026 after a complete renovation.

Read More - The Artisans Reimagining Florence’s Finest Hotel
A man in a red velvet jacket carries a huge red glass vase of big blooms and tall stems in shades of pink, seen from behind.

Belmond’s 2026 Culture Calendar

With our properties situated across some of the world’s most culturally rich destinations, our 2026 calendar highlights must-see music festivals, art fairs and luxury travel experiences around the globe.

Read More - Belmond’s 2026 Culture Calendar
Filmmaker Wes Anderson sits at a French polished table in an art deco carriage and observes the world through the window

How Wes Anderson Redesigned Our Train

Travel in a vintage train carriage designed by pioneering film director Wes Anderson, director of new film The Phoenician's Scheme, on your next visit to the United Kingdom. 

Read More - How Wes Anderson Redesigned Our Train