TRIESTE, Italy – The paths of Barcolana 56, presented by Generali, and Stefan Sagmeister meet through illycaffè, which has chosen to support Barcolana again in 2024 by celebrating it with an artist’s poster. Following collaborations with Michelangelo Pistoletto (2015), Gillo Dorfles (2016), Maurizio Galimberti (2017), Marina Abramović (2018), Olimpia Zagnoli (2019), Lorenzo Mattotti (2020), Ron Arad (2021), Matteo Thun (2022), and Judy Chicago (2023), the company illycaffè has teamed up with one of the most important designers of our time, Stefan Sagmeister, for the poster of the 56th edition of the event. This collaboration allows Barcolana to celebrate the event’s theme, ‘Energie Positive’ (Positive Energies), through art.
illycaffè saw an alignment between the title of this edition of the regatta and the work of Sagmeister, and proposed that he narrate the event through the lens of ‘Beautiful Numbers’ and from the perspective of ‘Long Term Thinking’.
The poster thus intertwines an infographic with an ancient oil painting depicting a woman. The artist chose to reproduce sails of different colours, connecting with the ‘Positive Energies’ theme chosen by Barcolana, and of different sizes to represent the evolution of participation in Barcolana over the last 54 years. The female figure, on the other hand, recalls the progress over time of the role of women in sailing competition, from a simple spectator, as it was a century ago in the main internationally renowned regattas, to a great protagonist as it is today in Barcolana, thanks also to the “Women in Sailing” initiative, which Barcolana will continue vigorously over the next three years with the support of presenting partner Generali.
The creation of the work stems from the artistic inspiration that has driven Sagmeister over the years. Between April and May 2021, during the Covid era, the Thomas Erben Gallery in New York hosted Sagmeister’s exhibition ‘Beautiful Numbers’. This exhibition aimed to provoke thought about the world’s positive developments when viewed from a long-term perspective, using visualizations that contextualize phenomena over decades or centuries.
To illustrate societal improvement, Sagmeister creates infographics, real works of design, capable of narrating the evolution of a series of phenomena over the long term, graphics that he ‘leans’ on old paintings. The exhibition’s success stemmed from its ability to present positive ‘reminders’ and emphasize focusing on happiness despite external challenges, as a mindset for personal improvement and striving toward a better future.
The project evolved over time, culminating in the 2023 with the third installation on ‘Long Term thinking’, entitled ‘Now is Better’, in continuity with the abstract compositions within historical paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries.
This artistic approach finds full coherence in the poster for the 56th edition of Barcolana, aligning perfectly with the event’s concept.
“This year’s theme, ‘Positive Energies’, is not about naively ignoring the negative aspects around us but about encouraging thoughts and actions to look to the future with optimism. Stefan Sagmeister’s poster, – said Mitja Gialuz, President of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano – is an extraordinary artistic synthesis of past positive energies that have allowed Barcolana to grow beyond what was imaginable fifty years ago and future projects that invite new ideas from participants, Trieste, and our partners. Art and design, as seen in past Barcolana editions, can guide us, offering a clear vision of what we can achieve together. I thank illycaffè for this manifesto that both artistically summarizes our journey and inspires our commitment to improving Barcolana.”
“We proudly renew our support for Barcolana through our connection with the art world. This year we entrusted the creation of the poster to one of the most acclaimed contemporary artists, Stefan Sagmeister. – stated Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffè – The result is a work of design: an infographic that tells the story of Barcolana through the development of the number of its members from 1969 to 2023. The artist wanted to create a dialogue between colored sails and an antique oil painting representing a nineteenth-century woman dressed to the nines, in which illycaffè and Barcolana have recognized a further message, linked to the evolution of the role of women in the world of sailing and beyond.”
“Barcolana embodies the concept of positive progress, closely aligning with my artistic vision. – explained Stefan Sagmeister – I aimed to combine significant historical data from the regatta’s history with the eclectic medium of an ancient oil painting to bridge past and present, telling a story of evolution and offering an encouraging message for today.”
Barcolana is scheduled for 13 October 2024 in the Gulf of Trieste, starting at 10:30 a.m., preceded by events on land and at sea from 4 October.
About Stefan Sagmeister
Stefan Sagmeister, acclaimed designer of Austrian origin and two-time Grammy award recipient, boasts an illustrious career and a diverse portfolio spanning commissioned design projects, book publications, films, exhibitions, and public installations. Sagmeister’s work is featured in eminent international institutions such as MoMA New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, SFMoMA, and MAK Vienna; his impressive roster of clients includes the Guggenheim Museum, the Rolling Stones, and HBO. In recent years, Sagmeister has shifted focus to explore themes of happiness, beauty, and human progress. Reflecting this intentional shift, his latest collection of works showcases ‘Beautiful Numbers’ to illustrate improvements in human development over time, offering visitors an optimistic and inspiring message that ‘Now is Better’.
About Barcolana
Barcolana is the Largest Sailing Race in the World, held annually in Trieste on the second Sunday of October. Organised in partnership with the Municipality of Trieste, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, the main sponsor Generali, and the support of numerous partners, the event saw a record 2,869 registered boats in its 50th edition on Sunday, 14 October 2018. This set a new world record for a sailing regatta, earning a place in the Guinness World Records.
The fiftieth edition attracted over 300,000 people to Trieste, confirming it as one of the most attended events in Italy, with global media coverage. In 2022, the regatta was won for the first time by a boat with a female skipper, the American Wendy Schmidt, who participated with her “Deep Blue” with the dual aim of promoting women’s roles in sailing and raising awareness about the need to protect the environment.
The 55th edition of the regatta took place from 29 September to 8 October 2023, supported for the first time by World Sailing, the international sailing federation. Together with Barcolana, they promote participation, inclusion, and sustainability, as well as ‘Women in Sailing’, a leadership development project for women in sailing inspired by the presenting partner Generali. The 2023 edition was won by Arca, skippered by Furio Benussi.
About illycaffè
illycaffè is an Italian family-owned company, founded in Trieste in 1933 which has always set itself the mission of offering the best coffee to the world. It produces a unique 100% Arabica blend composed of 9 different ingredients. The company selects only 1% of the best Arabica beans.
Every day more than 8 million cups of illy coffee are served in over 140 countries around the globe, in the cafés, restaurants and hotels, in single-brand cafés and shops, at home and in the office, in which the company is present through subsidiaries and distributors. Since its foundation, illycaffè has oriented its strategies towards a sustainable business model, commitment that it strengthened in 2019 by adopting the status of Benefit Company and in 2021 becoming the first Italian coffee company to obtain the international B Corp certification.
Everything that is “made in illy” is about beauty and art, the founding principles of the brand, starting from its logo, designed by artist James Rosenquist, up to illy Art Collection cups, decorated by over 130 international artists, or coffee machines designed by internationally renowned designers. With the aim of spreading the culture of quality to growers, baristas and coffee lovers, the company has developed its Università del Caffè which today holds courses in 23 countries around the world. In 2023, the company had a turnover of €595,1 million. The illy single-brand network has 159 points of sale in 30 countries.
