Ducati’s participation as a partner in the 2024 edition of Arte Fiera has come to a successful conclusion. The modern and contemporary art fair, which has been held as an annual event in Bologna since 1974, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024.
The magical combination of technology and aesthetics that characterises Ducati motorcycles is a practical expression of a philosophy that sees the love of beauty as an essential element for the Bologna-based manufacturer. The collaboration with an international artistic reality such as Arte Fiera is therefore in line with Ducati’s desire to promote Italian excellence, uniqueness and style throughout the world.
Ducati was an active part of the fair by sponsoring “Percorso”, an itinerary that links a selection of the galleries present in the Main Section of Arte Fiera according to a thematic criterion, identified in this edition in the universal language of drawing. It was precisely in the context of “Percorso” that the first “Officina Arte Ducati Award” was conferred to the piece Ossicodone 2 (2020) by the artist Alberto Tadiello, a work presented by the Neapolitan gallery Umberto di Marino.
The winning piece was selected along with two other finalists by a jury composed of Andrea Bruciati, art historian and director of Villa Adriana and Villa D’Este in Tivoli, Camilla Roversi Monaco, an expert in the restoration of cultural heritage, and Stefano Tarabusi, Ducati Design Manager, who said during the award ceremony: “This is a very important occasion for Ducati, not only because it is a first time for us, but because this is where a long-term journey begins. In fact, through this award we acquire the first work of our Corporate collection.”
Tadiello’s work impressed the jury first and foremost for its intrinsic quality and because it fully met all the criteria for the award, that is affinity with Ducati’s brand values: speed, dynamism, design dimension, innovation and experimentation.
“We were very impressed by the dynamic and kinetic stroke that suggests a very powerful performative action. Another element that did not leave us indifferent is the use of unconventional materials for the world of drawing, such as chipboard and unrefined welded industrial metal. Not least Tadiello’s research into the world of sound, which is also a distinctive aspect of the Ducati brand,” said Tarabusi.
During the opening period of the fair, visitors were also able to admire a work of art by the Ducati Centro Stile. It is the Acquabianca marble sculpture ‘Fortitudo Mea in Levitate’, inspired by the aesthetic canons of the Panigale and a tribute to lightness, one of the brand’s founding values. The work succeeds in conveying the contrast between the weight of a precious material such as white Carrara marble and the lightness of the shapes. The sculpture, positioned at the entrance to pavilions 25 and 26 that hosted Arte Fiera, attracted the gaze and curiosity of the more than 50,000 visitors who crossed the threshold of BolognaFiere during the three days it was open to the public.
Ducati also played a central role in the context of ART CITY Bologna, the programme of exhibitions, events and initiatives promoted by the Municipality of Bologna in cooperation with BolognaFiere, which takes place in conjunction with Arte Fiera in various locations within the city.
In the elegant spaces of Galleria Cavour, from 1 to 5 February, Ducati and Automobili Lamborghini joined forces in the name of art with the exhibition “Art of creating myths” which saw two works of art created by the talented Paolo Troilo side by side. On the one hand “Centauro”, created on the basis of one of the limited-edition Ducati Streetfighter V4 Lamborghini Speciale Clienti in continuity with “Minotauro”, the artist’s 2021 painting executed on the bodywork of a Lamborghini Huracán EVO.
Images courtesy of Ducati
