Meet NightCafe Select Judge Marco Pittarello: His Tips for The Architecture of Feeling
NightCafe Select is open, and this time you are not making a single image. You are telling a whole story. Our first-ever AI storytelling competition asks you to submit a Body of Work, a collection of images and/or video that carries one story from start to finish, around the theme The Architecture of Feeling. It is free to enter, open worldwide, and entries close on July 12, 2026.
When your work reaches the judging round, it lands in front of a panel that includes NightCafe founder Angus Russell, Runware's Sarah Impey, community favorite Gully Ahmed, and the founder of Prompt Magazine, Marco Pittarello. We sat down with Marco to introduce him, and to get his advice for making work that stands out.
Who is Marco Pittarello?
Marco is the founder and creative director of Prompt Magazine, which he started in 2023 in Padua, Italy. Prompt Magazine is a worldwide community and a printed and digital publication showcasing the best in AI design, spanning art, fashion, and possible futures. Each quarterly issue runs to around 200 pages, features interviews and open calls with artists from all over the world, and the magazine collaborates with festivals and events like OFFF Barcelona and the Arte Laguna Prize.
What ties it all together is a belief in artists. Prompt Magazine exists to support a community of creators who connect with and lift up each other, with a strong commitment to the ethical use of AI. That makes Marco a fitting judge for Select, where the work is judged on skill and story, not on the model you used.
Marco Pittarello, founder of Prompt Magazine and a NightCafe Select judge.
A quick refresher on the theme
The brief for Edition 1 is The Architecture of Feeling. Pick a feeling, wonder, longing, awe, the quiet kind of joy, whatever moves you, and build a Body of Work that tells a story about it. Think short film or mini exhibition, not a single image or a mood board. As the brief puts it: we want to feel it, not just see it.
That is a different challenge from a one-shot creation, and it is exactly where Marco's advice comes in.
Marco's creative tips for The Architecture of Feeling
We asked Marco what he hopes to see. Here is his advice, in his own words:
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AI art opens the door to entirely new visual languages. Don't be afraid to explore unexpected textures, contrasts, and ways of representing emotions.
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Originality doesn't always come from complexity. Sometimes a simple idea, executed with a strong vision, has the greatest impact.
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Don't create what you think the judges want to see. Create something that genuinely reflects your own perspective.
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Every artist starts somewhere. Whether you're an experienced creator or this is your very first AI artwork, competitions like this are an opportunity to experiment, learn, and grow.
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The theme isn't about illustrating emotions literally. It's about building an atmosphere, telling a story, and creating a feeling that stays with the viewer.
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Curiosity is often more valuable than perfection. The artists who stand out are usually those willing to explore new directions.
How to put this into practice
If you read back through Marco's tips, a clear approach emerges for a Body of Work:
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Lead with a feeling, not a subject. Choose your emotion first, then ask what world, light, and textures carry it.
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Tell one story, start to finish. A sequence of images or a short edited video that builds and resolves will always land harder than a beautiful but disconnected set.
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Make it unmistakably yours. Your perspective is the thing no prompt can copy, so lean into it.
You can experiment freely on NightCafe with whichever models suit your story, image or video, and pull it all together into a single entry.
A special offer from Prompt Magazine
Marco and the team at Prompt Magazine are giving NightCafe creators 20% off at the Prompt Magazine store, so you can see how artists around the world are pushing AI art and get inspired before you enter. Use the code PROMPTXNIGHTCAFE at checkout, or follow this link to have it applied for you: Get 20% off at Prompt Magazine.
Ready to enter?
NightCafe Select is free to enter and open worldwide. Entries close on July 12, judging begins straight after, and winners are announced on July 20. Best Overall takes home a $1,000 USD grant, 30,000 fast credits, and a feature in Prompt Magazine, with features, credits, and a print copy of the August edition of Prompt Magazine.
We can't wait to see the feeling you build. What emotion would you choose for your Body of Work, and what is the first image that comes to mind when you picture it?