The Città di Laives La Seconda Luna Award  treasured the experience of the previous Premio di Pittura Città di Laives (Città di Laives Painting Award) whose eighth and last edition took place in 2006. In the same year the Municipality of Laives, original promoter of the initiative, established the Visual Arts Award Committee Città di Laives. The new entity was entrusted with the task of managing and innovating the project with the financial and organizational support of the Municipality, the Department of Italian Culture of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and other stakeholders.

In 2007 it was decided to abandon the monographic approach of the previous Award to favor a broader perspective and a better understanding of sense-generation, creativity and society, which resulted in the establishment of a new award dedicated to passions.

Therefore, rather than focusing on a single field, the current project is a tool of transdisciplinary research, aimed at finding paths to explore new creative and social territories.

The first national edition of the Award gained a great response. Over a thousand people entered the contest, and three major Awards, two special Awards to “Passion for Scientific and Technologic Innovation” and two Jury Mentions were assigned.

In 2010, the Committee moved to new premises and organized the new edition. Participation is extended to all EU member countries, and new awards are introduced. The competition announcement provides the opportunity to launch the Archive of Passions on the completely renovated website, and to give visibility to the Passions Sanctuary, which includes all the activities promoted and supported by the Committee within the Laives area and in the Adige Valley, from Bolzano to Salorno (Bassa Atesina).