A path consisting of a coherent progression has led Sanlorenzo to be the main sponsor of the Italian Pavilion at the 59th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia.
For the essence of the shipyard, art, embedded in a rich cultural fabric that is integral to its history, is imbued art. This is demonstrated by the last 15 years and the milestones that have marked them.
It was a collection of works by Gianfranco Pardi, a painter and sculptor trained as an architect, that in 2008 symbolised the beginning of that virtuous union between art and design that has permeated every Sanlorenzo yacht ever since: on board the SL100, Pardi’s works entered into a dialogue with icons of Italian design following the interior design of the Dordoni Architetti studio. With the intention of bringing on board the perception of an elegant Italian home as it has never existed before. Which then expanded in search of ever closer links with the most important art institutions and galleries.
First act, two events with Tornabuoni Arte at the epicentre of collecting: in Miami and Venice, Sanlorenzo, against all exhibition convention, transformed two of his yachts into real floating galleries. Prelude, In 2018, to the birth of the global partnership agreement with Art Basel. Since then, Sanlorenzo has been present at the annual events in Hong Kong, Basel and Miami Beach with large installations that artistically express the transversal and experimental soul of the brand, curated by Piero Lissoni, who was chosen by the shipyard as art director that same year. But Sanlorenzo’s artistic sensibility is evident not only at Art Basel, but also in other installations of great visual impact: above all, the installation “Il Mare a Milano” shown at the 2017 Triennale, which will be awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 2020.
Credit Simone Bossi
Venice. The link will be consolidated between 2019 and 2021, this time touching on auteur photography: it will be entrusted with the artistic story of the uniqueness of the shipyard with the exhibitions “Naviganti” by Silvano Pupella and “Dedalo”, works by Veronica Gaido, along with others by John Pawson, to be exhibited at the Casa dei Tre Oci. In 2020, the multi-year collaboration with the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, of which Sanlorenzo will become an institutional partner, will once again take place in Venice, reaffirming Sanlorenzo’s intention to be a promoter of cultural development.
Having cultivated dialogue with art in innovative and transversal ways, Sanlorenzo launched a new, ambitious challenge at Art Basel last September called Sanlorenzo Arts: an interactive platform that explores the most pressing issues of our times through close relationships with artists and representatives of creativity. With a declared role no longer just as a patron, but as a producer of culture: first act, two commissioned works entitled “Suspensions” created by Swiss artist Emil Michael Klein for the Collectors Lounge at Art Basel.
Credit Simone Bossi
To be alongside the Italian Pavilion at the 59th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, curated by Eugenio Viola, is a unique and extraordinary achievement for Sanlorenzo. But above all, it is another starting point from which to explore new ways of relating to the world of contemporary art and its languages in the future.
Cav. Massimo Perotti, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sanlorenzo, comments on this important presence as follows: «We are witnessing a new renaissance that places contemporary culture at the heart of society and industry. Venice and the Italian Pavilion are an exceptional global showcase: a synthesis of the creativity and energy that Italy expresses and a highly talented young artist like Gian Maria Tosatti, who was chosen as the sole interpreter of this space. We are delighted to be able to make our contribution to such a special project, which we are sure will leave its mark on this Biennale».
Massimo Perotti Executive Chairman Sanlorenzo @GianlucaVassallo
