Yesterday, in the evocative setting of Milan’s pulsating cultural heart of the Flash Art headquarters, Sanlorenzo announced its collaboration with Michelangelo Pistoletto and his foundation for a reinterpretation of the Third Paradise in an initiative that combines innovation and sustainability. The new project, entitled Third Paradise Quick Response, will be unveiled as a preview during the Venice Art Bienniale and will mark the prelude to the launch of Sanlorenzo Arts Venice, a cultural and artistic hub destined to emerge as a point of reference in the lagoon city’s cultural landscape. “The Venice Art Biennale,” said Massimo Perotti, CEO of Sanlorenzo, “is the perfect context to present our project in collaboration with Michelangelo Pistoletto. His artistic vision and our commitment to innovation and sustainability come together in this extraordinary installation that embodies Sanlorenzo’s core values and anticipates the launch of our ambitious Sanlorenzo Arts Venice project. We have always believed that there is an intrinsic link between the worlds of art and boating, and this project represents our commitment to uniting creativity and the craftsmanship of our yachts, transforming the sea into a canvas on which to paint extraordinary experiences”. His words were followed by those of Cristiano Seganfreddo: “Michelangelo Pistoletto,” explained the conference moderator, publisher of Flash Art and curator of the project,“has ferried the history of art by bringing it into society for society. He reinvented the 20th century and the avant-garde with a fourth space-time dimension to lead us, through the Third Paradise, to a new synthesis that looks at humanity integrated in the universe. The collaboration with Sanlorenzo, the visionary Made In Italy company, represents an innovative design process where the worlds of production and industry enter into a close, real and possible dialogue for change and the environment. Art and industry, art and production: this is a real and possible project. Not just an installation, but a programme for the future”.
Sanlorenzo Arts Venice, which is scheduled to open in 2025, stems from Sanlorenzo’s desire to “give life to a place which reflects the deep connection between the company and the world of art, research and creativity”, we read in a press release. The building, whose interiors are currently being restored by architect as well as Sanlorenzo’s art director Piero Lissoni, is designed to host art, design and architecture exhibitions, offering a space where creativity is combined with innovation in the world of yachts, “recounting the values and energy that characterise the world of Sanlorenzo, where art, nature and technology come together to create unique boats ready to chart new routes in the future of humanity”. Sanlorenzo has identified the Venice Art Biennale as the perfect moment to present a preview of the project: the historic building will in fact feature Pistoletto’s monumental site-specific installation, Third Paradise Quick Response (2024). After the speeches by Alessia Cozzi (General Secretary of Sanlorenzo Arts) and Toti S. Musumeci (President of the Sanlorenzo’s Scientific Committee), Michelangelo Pistoletto said about the work: “The Third Paradise is the transition to a new level of planetary civilisation, essential for the survival of humanity and the planet. It is the synthesis of humanity’s cultural, scientific and technological achievements, leading towards a sustainable and harmonious future. The key word,” he asserted, “is ‘investment’. But we are coming out of a century and a half in which all the investment has been in oil, gas and industrial activity, which has brought extraordinary, incredible benefits, to the detriment of the environment though. In short, we have reached heights of wonder, but also of destruction. We must therefore attain a trinamic balance”.
The work, which will be built exclusively in Sanlorenzo’s shipyards, will be composed of three interlocking circles representing the union of opposites and the synthesis of a dynamic balance between conflicting elements, and is intended to accompany humanity in the epochal challenges of the contemporary world, promoting a balanced connection between nature and artifice. This Third Paradise will therefore be a symbol that will be activated throughout the world, pervading the everyday living and working spaces, inviting to dialogue and reflection on the need to protect the planet and care for the human society that inhabits it. Sanlorenzo Arts Venice is thus configured as a place where art, design, innovation and nature meet and exchange views, emphasising Sanlorenzo’s commitment to favouring new creative languages and contributing to the production of quality culture and design. Paolo Naldini, director of Cittadellarte, also spoke at the conference to present the artistic and cultural organisation: “Cittadellarte is a school, because we study, we research, we debate. There is a constant shift between being someone who is learning and someone who is passing on what they have learnt. I am also learning here today; this particular conference can become an investment for everyone. Even Cittadellarte’s school would not function in the same way without the investment of those who support our vision”. The conference ended with a message of hope from Pistoletto: “Let us all try to get active and commit ourselves to an investment aimed at generating and developing a sustainable future”.
