MILAN, Italy – In a historical moment in which the celebration of life has a strongly shared and heartfelt meaning, Campari Group celebrates its 160th anniversary with a sculpture that is a hymn to life and represents the values that have guided the Group since its foundation, in 1860, and throughout its evolution and growth all over the world, always with an eye to the future.
The 160th anniversary was celebrated last week, where the company’s first plant was built, in Sesto San Giovanni, with the inauguration of “Infinito Campari”, a work of art designed and created by the internationally renowned sculptor Oliviero Rainaldi. A legacy that strengthens the company’s bond with Italy, the city of Sesto S. Giovanni and the world of art. The work is a gift for the Camparistas, the more than 4,000 employees who work for the Group around the world, for the fans and admirers of Campari, and for the present and future generations.
The work is inspired by the history of Campari and in particular by two works created by artists who in their time made an essential contribution to building the brand: the futurist Fortunato Depero with his work of 1931, “The Campari Pavilion”, and the painter and illustrator Leonetto Cappiello who, with “Lo Spiritello” (1921), marked the history of the brand.
Infinito Campari is a complex work of art that consists of two elements: a work of landscape art entitled the Telescopic Labyrinth and a monumental sculpture in Carrara marble that lies inside it. The 320-square-meter Telescopic Labyrinth is composed of the monogram CG, the initials of Campari Group that together create the symbol of infinity: this element, which recalls the botanical origins of Campari, contains the marble sculpture at its center, a dynamic and open geometric shape that recalls a sphere with a diameter of 2.50 m.
The sculpture was made from a single block of white Carrara marble weighing 74 tons. The work, inspired by the orange peel that envelops Cappiello’s Spiritello, consists of two circles that again represent an intertwined C and G. Inside the marble work there is a special sealed niche that houses a bottle of Bitter Campari: the beating and secret heart of Infinito Campari.
“We celebrate 160 years of Campari, a company that is part of Italy’s great entrepreneurial history. We have contributed to spreading the Italian lifestyle and the culture of the aperitif all over the world and we continue to invest today, projecting ourselves towards an increasingly global future, thanks to the excellence of our people and the constant enhancement of our brands, each with its own identity and a strong link with the territory of origin”, declared Bob Kunze-Concewitz, CEO of Campari Group. “For 160 years we have been toasting life together, which for us means responsibly celebrating moments of sharing with our loved ones and our friends. I would like to thank Oliviero Rainaldi for being able to fully capture the soul of Campari, exalting its ambition to last over time as only art can do.”
“Working with Campari has been an intense journey of discovery” commented the sculptor, Oliviero Rainaldi. “I knew that the history of Campari has been intertwined with the world of art since its origins, always aiming high and looking beyond, also thanks to the important contribution of the artists who over the years have taken up the challenge of describing such a unique brand. I accepted this assignment as a sign: the sign of being able to push myself even further, and it is precisely in this vision that goes beyond the boundaries of the tangible that I thought and was able to create what I consider to be one of my most innovative works: Infinito Campari.”
Campari: 160 Years of Italian History
The history of Campari began in 1860, when the liqueurist Gaspare Campari invented the red aperitif that bears his name and which immediately conquered Milanese society. With his son Davide, gifted with an extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit, Campari experienced a period of great development thanks to forward-looking investments and innovative intuitions.
In 1904, Davide founded the first plant in Sesto San Giovanni, which began the industrial production of Bitter Campari, and in 1915 he opened Camparino in Galleria, soon a symbol of the aperitif ritual. Collaborating with the best artists of his time, Davide built the Campari brand through the first forms of advertising in Italy, immediately considered as works of art.
Over the years, Davide’s heirs have successively obtained solid results thanks to investments in technology and innovation, up to the chairmanship of Domenico Garavoglia, who strengthened Campari on the Italian market, both consolidating its international presence and preparing the ground for its extraordinary subsequent growth.
Over the past 25 years, the company’s story has been marked by numerous acquisitions, the listing on the Italian Stock Exchange and the expansion of the portfolio, which now includes over 50 brands. Besides Campari, some of the most iconic ones are: Aperol, Grand Marnier, SKYY Vodka, Appleton Estate and Wild Turkey. Campari Group has become one of the top players in the spirits sector worldwide.
The company is represented by about 4,000 Camparistas and currently has 21 in-market companies and 22 production plants around the world, with a distribution network that reaches over 190 markets.
