MASI* presented in Venice the catalogue “L'Anima dell'Amarone” by Plessi (Marsilio Editori) for Monteleone21 and the limited edition of the 2006 Amarone Masi Costasera Contemporary Art

The catalog "L'Anima dell'Amarone" by artist Fabrizio Plessi, published by Marsilio Arte and dedicated to the site-specific installation created for Monteleone21, Masi's new headquarters in Valpolicella, was presented last night in Venice. In the newly renovated Procuratie in Piazza San Marco, within the spaces of the Casa di The Human Safety Net, Luciano Ferraro, deputy editor of Corriere della Sera, spoke with publisher Luca De Michelis, CEO of Marsilio Arte, video art maestro Plessi, and Sandro Boscaini, President of Masi Agricola.

The volume, which opens with an introduction by Ferraro, includes contributions by critic Giovanni Marinetti and architect Giovanna Mar, as well as a biography of the artist. Richly illustrated, it brings together drawings and project shots, documentary photographs of the work, and architectural images of Monteleone21, along with views of the Valpolicella vineyards and the production of Amarone, revealing the strong and profound connection between art, landscape, and wine culture.

This connection was the underlying theme of yesterday's discussion. Ferraro urged Plessi to share the inspiration, visions, and emotions aroused by the large space dedicated to the drying of grapes, which houses the monumental installation he himself calls the "Cathedral of Amarone," worthy of housing the soul of this precious wine.

The maestro dwelt on the project's genesis, emphasizing its total creative freedom. After years of artistic research dedicated to primary and ancestral elements such as water, fire, and light, Plessi approached wine as a source of inspiration for the first time. " Amarone possesses memory, depth, and time ," he stated, explaining how the work stems from the desire to translate the powerful identity of this majestic wine through an immersive, visually striking language made of moving images, artificial intelligence, soundscapes, and bamboo platforms with drying grapes: nature and technology intertwine in a single narrative flow.

Mr. Amarone, Sandro Boscaini, highlighted the vision behind the Monteleone21 project and the importance of the new structure being christened with a work like Plessi's: " Monteleone21 was born as a meeting place between tradition and modernity. With Fabrizio, with whom I have a deep friendship, we wanted to narrate Amarone and its most intimate soul through an artistic language that is universal in nature, capable of interpreting wine not only as a product, but as an expression of culture and territory ."

De Michelis emphasized that the catalog doesn't simply document the installation, but preserves and extends its existence over time: " The volume immortalizes the work in the context in which it was born and lives, helping to make its memory eternal ." He also praised Masi for its ability to promote culture in all its aspects, intertwining wine and art, recalling the awarding of the Masi Civiltà Veneta Prize to his father, Cesare, exactly twenty years later.

Concluding the meeting, architect Mar reviewed the five years of work he and his team have shared on Monteleone21, a multifunctional space inspired by the genius loci deeply rooted in the identity of Valpolicella and designed to engage with the local area, bridging the gap between past and present. He then highlighted the complete harmony with the client and the Boscaini family's extraordinary ability to look beyond the present, leaving a lasting impression with a work of vast scope, scale, and powerful evocative power.

Plessi's work extends beyond the large video sculpture featured in the catalog: the Soul of Amarone also comes to life in a limited series of artist-designed bottles added to the Costasera Contemporary Art collection, a project Masi has been offering for nearly twenty years, featuring labels designed by artists from around the world, depicting the intimate relationship with this prestigious wine. The packaging designed by the maestro for the "five-star" Costasera Masi 2006 vintage encompasses the entire surface of the bottle, prompting Plessi to exclaim: " The Soul of Amarone passes through space and encounters the precious nectar in all its strength and impetus, enveloping it: the work and the art hover around and within the wine ."