Mellone Art Prize: 140 artists compete on the theme of flight, awards ceremony on 18 May

The 40 selected works were exhibited for twenty days at Villa Brentano in Busto Garolfo, the headquarters of the Foundation, which houses the permanent collection of the works of Dario Mellone, painter and cartoonist, for over thirty years illustrator at Corriere della Sera, to whom the award is named.

The ten finalists chosen by the jury, whose works will be exhibited in the Sala Cenacolo of the Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci, on Monday 18 May, when the prize-giving ceremony will take place (6pm), are: Piero Addis, Roberta Cavallari, Luca Freschi, Alessandra Lanese, Angelo Morandini, Ieva Petersone, Maurizio Pometti, Andrea Savazzi, Danilo Torre, Fausto Trevisan.

The first three prize-winners, who will be awarded a prize for the purchase of a work worth a total of 10,000 euros (5,000 euros to the first prize-winner, 3,000 to the second, 2,000 to the third), are: Angelo Demitri Morandini, first classified with Quello con Timina, il volo

most beautiful in life; Luca Freschi, second place with After Dark; Danilo Torre, third place with Collure#4 TakeOFF.

Luca Freschi, After Dark (particolare)

Danilo Torre, Collure#4 TakeOFF (particolare)

Angelo Demitri Morandini, primo classificato con Quello con Timina, il volo più bello della vita (particolare)

"Morandini's winning work," explains Andrea Ciresola, president of the jury, "oscillates between the minimalism of the sign and writing that does not promote concepts through the meaning of the written words, but through their graphic value. Having the ability to

using communication media in an unconventional way is a valuable contribution that only authentic artists can produce."

In addition, Stefano Bressani, famous for his clothed sculptures using clothing fabrics, was awarded the Caproni Prize for his work Flying Caproni, promoted in collaboration with the Caproni Aeronautical Museum Association, with the aim of highlighting

works capable of interpreting the theme of flight in relation to the figure of Gianni Caproni.

"I chose this work because it is very strong visually and sums up well the spirit of my grandfather, a pioneer of flight in Italia," explains grandson Pierfrancesco Meazzini Boccadoro. - The reference to the motto coined by D'Annunzio 'senza cozzar dirocco' is central: the idea of striking without direct contact, which for Caproni also meant reducing the war of attrition on the ground. The role of the bomber is clearly read in the work, but also symbolic elements such as the flag and the heart, which refer to the

his patriotic spirit. I was also struck by the use of materials, which recall the origins of aviation and the artist's ability to really enter into the imagery of that period'.

The winning work will become part of the Association's collection and will also be exhibited at Volandia, Italy's largest aeronautical park and museum, located in the former Caproni aircraft factory near Malpensa. A selection of works from the Award will also be presented to the public here from 6 June.

"The Mellone Art Prize confirms itself as a cultural project capable of uniting art, science and technology, offering a contemporary reading of our time," explains Engineer Giuseppe Villoresi, President of the Villoresi Poggi Foundation. - The theme The Art of Flight becomes an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between innovation, vision and responsibility. As Fondazione Villoresi Poggi we support this initiative because we believe that the future is built through dialogue between disciplines and the ability to imagine new perspectives".