Now, two millennia later, human ingenuity continues to be the link between past and present. Inspired by the energy transition, a fusion of art and industry took place in the ancient Temple of Venus and Rome: in May 2024, the Colosseum Archaeological Park hosted the award ceremony of the EvolveArt competition, organized by the MAIRE Foundation, the Friends of the Biennale of Artistic High Schools (ABiLiArt) Association, with the support of the National Network of Art High Schools.
More than 280 students from 50 art high schools in 18 Italian regions envisioned, designed and created original artistic works on the theme "Technology and Innovation in the Energy Transition." The eight works that won the competition ex aequo will become the covers of upcoming issues of EVOLVE, our magazine distributed worldwide. In addition to the winners, 20 other works received special mentions and were displayed along the Via Sacra inside the archaeological park.
A vision of the future
Despite its complexity, the theme of the energy transition was brilliantly interpreted by the young artists, who, in front of a large audience of teachers, school administrators and experts in art and photography, presented their visions for the future of how they intend to address climate change using their creativity: an essential issue regarding the future of our planet.
«In the magnificent setting of the Colosseum Archaeological Park, hosted to us in partnership, this occasion brings the initiatives of the MAIRE Foundation ever closer to the heart of the goals we want to pursue, » said Fabrizio Di Amato, Chairman of the Foundation and the MAIRE group. The goal is to give students the tools and knowledge to address environmental issues, deepen the meaning of sustainable development and orient them to the job opportunities of the energy transition. «An essential message, » Di Amato added, «so that the results we set out to achieve can be reached, but only in the presence of realistic goals. And on this journey of learning, art has the role of making everyone aware of the great challenges of the future. »
With a focus on technology and innovation in the energy transition – and promoted by MAIRE and the MAIRE Foundation in collaboration with the Friends of the Biennial of High Schools of Art Association (ABiLiArt) and the National Network of High Schools of Art – the EvolveArt competition involved more than 280 students from 50 artistic high schools in 18 Italian regions.
The humanist engineers of tomorrow
As explained by the Foundation's General Manager, Ilaria Catastini, «choosing the winning works was by no means easy given the high quality of the entries submitted. » Indeed, through its Foundation, MAIRE supports the training of tomorrow's humanist engineers, professionals capable of contributing to the energy and digital transition of the future. Together with schools, universities and the third sector, it aims to promote the skills of young people and combat educational poverty.
«The meeting with the MAIRE Foundation and the idea of proposing a competition for Italian High Schools of Art has greatly stimulated the imagination and creativity of our young artists, leading them to explore complex but fundamental issues for their future, » commented Mariagrazia Dardanelli, Honorary President of the National Network of High Schools of Art, and President of the AbiLiArt Association. The many submissions we received, all of a very high standard, demonstrate what great potential of an artistic education when it is applied to the territory and is called upon to collaborate with the world of work and research. Education is curious, wanting to share ideas and passions, highlight its potential, and imagine a possible future. We need to make sure that this all happens, in the best way and with the right support. This is an occasion we can be proud of. »
The transition as seen by young people
Selecting and voting on the works of the EvolveArt competition, along with Carlo Nicolais (Institutional Relations, Communication and Sustainability VP MAIRE), and Massimo Dapoto (Group Communication Manager MAIRE ), were the aforementioned Ilaria Catastini and Mariagrazia Dardanelli, as well as Daniela De Angelis (historian of Contemporary Art), Giovanni Federle (lecturer of Graphic Design), Antonio Fiorenza (photographer, lecturer of Photography) and Renato Pennisi (director of Christie's auction house).
«EVOLVE is the symbol of our change, » explained Carlo Nicolais, «initially adopted as the title of our magazine, it has since become the name of the Foundation: so for us it is a distinctive sign of the transformation taking place. As was highlighted by Chairman Fabrizio Di Amato, we are renewing our identity as an engineering company, pushing hard on research to move from a focus on traditional natural resources to more innovative and alternative solutions. »
An evolution that also includes the integration of art and energy transition: an approach that has proven to be very inspiring for young people. «The students have interpreted and responded to the challenge of energy transition through their individual point of view, » Nicolais concluded. «One of the most gratifying aspects for us is that the winners' works will be used as the covers of the next eight editions of our magazine. As an international company, we distribute our publication to a large global audience, which includes clients and stakeholders spanning from Malaysia to the United States, Europe to the Middle East. This provides this emerging talent with an extraordinary platform of worldwide visibility. I warmly thank the entire team for their commitment to this initiative. For us, this is a time to take a step forward not only to contribute to the well-being of the community, but also to promote a vision for the future and hope. »
THE WINNERS OF THE "EVOLVEART" CONTEST
Here is the list of the 8 “ex aequo” winners, whose artworks will be used as the covers of the next eight editions of our EVOLVE magazine:
Mattia Andronic
Liceo Artistico Statale "Benedetto Alfieri," Asti Artwork: "Electric Orchids"
Alesia Andrea Nicolescu
Liceo Artistico Statale "Leonardo da Vinci," Aversa (NA) Artwork: "Now or Never" – Innovation that transforms the present and shapes the future
Melani De Mali
Liceo Artistico Statale "Tommaso Catullo," Belluno Artwork: "The Fish"
Giorgia Consonni
Liceo Artistico Statale "Fausto Melotti," Cantù (CO) Artwork: "Through Change"
Andreea Diana Di Mattia
Liceo Artistico Paritario "San Giuseppe," Grottaferrata (RM) Artwork: "Green Street"
Dario Fella
Liceo Artistico Statale "Vincenzo Calò," Grottaglie (TA) Artwork: "On board a bike"
Nicholas Matrone
Liceo Artistico Statale "Giorgio de Chirico," Torre Annunziata (NA) Artwork: "Do Not Touch"
Nicola Leonardo Lenoci
Liceo Artistico Statale "Enrico e Umberto Nordio," Trieste (Italy) Artwork: "Art-i-Fact Landscape"
Humanistic engineering at the heart of the energy transition