Milan, September 28th 2021 – The Camozzi Group has donated a painting that represents the new Genoa San Giorgio Bridge, made by Alessandro Papetti, a Milan based artist, to the Presidency of the Italian Republic.
“Genova. Il ponte sulla città” is the title of the painting that will be exhibited in the permanent exhibition Quirinale Contemporaneo (Contemporary Quirinale), which will be inaugurated tomorrow by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella.
The Camozzi Group dedicates this prestigious work of figurative art to celebrate the Italian ingenuity that made possible such a significant contribution to Genova’s infrastructure and in which the Group played a key role.
In fact Camozzi, along with Genoa’s IIT (Italian Institute of Technology), rapidly designed and built the unique robotic system that contributes to the safety of the new bridge. The system combines advanced manufacturing features with digitalisation and eco-sustainability to verify the integrity of the structure using an array of built-in cameras and sensors. This enables operators to take preventive action as part of the day-to-day maintenance of the bridge.
Besides technology and safety, the bridge also represents the themes of reconstruction, rebirth and national pride. For this reason the Group wanted to donate the painting to the Quirinale, an institution that symbolises the unity and cohesion of the country, so that the memory of this event, the tragedy and the recovery, would be safeguarded for all Italians.
The oil-on-canvas painting, made by Papetti over several months, is noted for its exceptional size (2,7 by 4,5 meters) and depicts the bridge in its entirety, reaching out over the city of Genoa. The bridge is shown rooted among the houses of the city, referring to its relationship with the community, just as the evokation of the construction site environment reminds the viewer of all the effort expended to build it.
The work, located in the Sala del plastico of the Quirinale Palace, becomes part of a collection of 101 paintings and 102 design works from the Republican period, that enrich the halls of the Presidency of the Republic and constitute an important public expression of italian excellence
Lodovico Camozzi, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Camozzi Group, stated: “Our participation in building the new Bridge of Genoa is one of the many reasons I have great pride in our Group because it is not only a symbol of rebirth, but it has also been a demonstation to the whole world that Italy, even after the worst tragedies, is able to rise again immediately and build unique and futuristic projects. Knowing that the painting will be kept at the Quirinale makes us even prouder, because we believe it is essential that this work remains a part of the heritage of all Italians and that which has been rebuilt, will never be forgotten by future generations".
“When I started thinking about this painting – explained Alessandro Papetti – I experienced a sense of responsibility for the symbolic value that this subject represents and as a consequence for what my work could assume. If a bridge is the metaphor for a point of conjuction, union and continuity, in this case it is above all about a dramatic fracture. We are dealing with the healing of a wound that does not want to and cannot be forgotten as well as the the possibilty of a rebirth. In fact, it is a painting on the theme of memory, which I tried to tackle without rhetorical significance, with silent objectivity and deep respect”.