Illycaffè and Barcolana, unveil the manifesto of the 54th edition

From the joy of sailing the seas to the vibrancy of a city like Trieste, taking in respect, inclusivity, curiosity, and spontaneity: the values of Barcolana, what it aspires to, and its relationship with the participants are illustrated in a single image that is not merely a poster, but a manifesto of the regatta's values.

After Michelangelo Pistoletto (2015), Gillo Dorfles (2016), Maurizio Galimberti (2017), Marina Abramović (2018), Olimpia Zagnoli (2019), Lorenzo Mattotti (2020) and Ron Arad (2021), illycaffè, as art director of the Barcolana poster, chose the Italian designer and architect Matteo Thun for the 54th edition of the world's largest sailing race.

"To me, Barcolana represents the joy of dedication and allegiance. I wanted to draw from the regatta's optimism to create a poster that resonates with our human nature and expresses the importance of adding to the world our human touch, our respect, empathy, and spontaneity. My signature on the illy cup I designed thirty years ago bears a simple message: let us leave a positive impression in the world" explains Matteo Thun.

The poster captures and summarizes the spirit with which the Barcolana was born in 1969; the same spirit that has been driving the organizers, Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, for over 50 years. Matteo Thun has identified the distinctive elements - Barcolana's DNA, as expressed with a fingerprint whose lines recall sea currents - that project this event beyond the world of sailing and illustrates the regatta's universe of values. Ultimately - explains Matteo Thun - Barcolana is the joy of sharing a passion through which we can cultivate shared values.

"It is with great joy that we renew once again our partnership with Barcolana, a unique event with which illycaffè shares deep roots: our people and our territory" says Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffè. "For this 54th edition, we decided to entrust the poster's design to Matteo Thun, who decided to celebrate the regatta's spirit through the metaphor of a fingerprint: as parallel lines flow through it, they sometimes break off, creating a design that recalls marine currents and conveys positive emotions while celebrating the importance of interconnectedness. This image highlights how Barcolana, the world's largest sailing regatta, is able to convey shared values, the harmony between man and nature, inclusiveness, empathy, respect, and the joy of life".

"Matteo Thun's manifesto for the 2022 edition," commented Mitja Gialuz, President of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano "is a perfect synthesis of the profound values behind Barcolana. For sailors, currents are independent variables that must be taken into account when tracing a route. When shaping the 54th edition, which comes after two years of pandemic, we are rediscovering precisely those values, from curiosity to vitality, from inclusiveness to respect. After all, the image also evokes an ear and reminds us of the need to listen. Listening to the people of Barcolana who want to go back to fully experiencing the magic of the largest sailing race in the world'.

The Barcolana sailing regatta will take place on October 9th, 2022 in the Gulf of Trieste; start time is 10:30. It will be preceded by a series of events, both ashore and at sea, starting on September 30th. Registration for the regatta begins on June 29th, online at www.barcolana.it. Today, Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano will send out 400 posters and 4,000 postcards featuring the imagery from the official poster; they will be sent to the yacht clubs and shipowners who participated in the previous editions.