The International Painting Competition
The Association Centro Commerciale Naturale ViviCastelnuovo, with the contribution of Toscana Promozione Turistica, under the patronage of Confcommercio Pisa and the Municipality of Castelnuovo Val di Cecina, and under the artistic direction of Vieri Panerai,
is organizing the first edition of Imago in Villa, an international painting competition based on the trompe l’oeil technique, from July 20 to August 20, 2024.
The competition takes place in the medieval village of Castelnuovo Val di Cecina (Pisa), where artists from around the world will showcase their talent by creating their works to compete for the grand prize: an apartment in the historic village, a unique and charming setting in the heart of Tuscany.
Along a route winding through the ancient streets of the village, 16 buildings have been selected, with their facades becoming painting stations for the contestants.
On September 8, 2024, the jury composed of experts will select the participants and announce the winner of the competition.
Trompe L'oeil
The term “trompe l’oeil” is a French expression that means “deceive the eye.” It refers to an artistic technique that seeks to deceive the viewer by making a three-dimensional object appear real and tangible, even though it is painted on a two-dimensional surface, such as a wall or canvas.
This technique is often used to create optical illusions, giving the impression that the painted objects are real and protruding from the surface on which they are painted. Artists who use this technique can paint objects so realistically that they appear almost physically present.
Trompe l’oeil has been used in various historical periods and in different cultures, and it is a fascinating form of artistic expression that challenges the visual perception of viewers.
The Prize
The prize for the winner of Imago in Villa, determined by the technical jury, is an apartment in the historic village of Castelnuovo Val di Cecina, a unique and charming setting in the heart of Tuscany.
Additionally, there is a prize from the popular jury, based on preferences expressed by the public through social media, which consists of a weekend stay at accommodation facilities affiliated with CCN ViviCastelnuovo.
The jury
The jury composed of experts will convene on September 8, 2024, to determine the winner of the competition.
Vieri Panerai - Direttore Artistico e Presidente di Giuria
Active since the early 1990s in creating painted decorations and paintings for public and private commissions, Vieri is an artist known and appreciated worldwide. He is the Artistic Director and President of the jury for Imago in Villa.
Alberto Ferrini - Judge
Alberto Ferrini , Mayor of Castelnuovo Va di Cecina.
Fabrizio Lucchesi - Judge
Fabrizio Lucchesi, born in Florence in 1965. Graduated and specialized in Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence and Bologna, he completed his training at the School of Ceramics in Montelupo Fiorentino, favoring ceramic technique as an expressive medium. Since 2004, he has collaborated with the School of Ceramics in Montelupo, now the New Experimental Ceramic Center, first as an assistant and later as a teacher. He participated in the Acta Project, initiated by the Ministry of Productive Activities, for the promotion of Italian artistic ceramics, specifically focusing on the major Tuscan ceramic centers. He is the author of the educational manual "Defects and Remedies in Artistic Ceramics," published in 2008 by Aedo editions. Since 2007, he has been a Professor of Ornamental Plastic and Ceramic Techniques at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. He is the Coordinator of the School of Decoration and Coordinator of the Master in Ceramic Product Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. In parallel with his teaching activity, he carries out his artistic research; his works are present in national and international exhibitions and private collections.
Marco Cavallini - Judge
A renowned master craftsman in the field of decorative arts, he became a teacher of "Ancient Painting Techniques and Restoration" at the State Institute of Art in Florence. In parallel, he has also carried out and continues to carry out his theoretical and practical teaching for important public and private entities and institutions (Faculty of Architecture of Florence, CNA of many Tuscan provinces, Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna, Leon Battista Alberti Artistic High School in Florence, etc.). Additionally, he is the author of two important manuals: "Artificial Stones and Marbles" and "Quadraturism and Mural Painting Decoration."
A village that changes its face
From the moment the artists, with their superb mastery, picked up their brushes, the village of Castelnuovo Val di Cecina began to change its face (as the hashtag #ilborgocambiafaccia suggests). The works created blend perfectly with the environment, without in the least altering the identity of the medieval village.
Centro Commerciale Naturale ViviCastelnuovo
CCN ViviCastelnuovo is an association of commercial businesses that, with the support of Toscana Promozione Turistica and under the patronage of the Municipality of Castelnuovo Val di Cecina and Confcommercio province of Pisa, work synergistically to implement a series of initiatives aimed at enhancing the historical village and more generally the territory of Castelnuovo Val di Cecina.
Sponsor
Our story begins with a sad event for the city of Florence and the family of Italo Brandini: the Allied bombing of the Campo di Marte railway station on September 25, 1943, which, in addition to causing the loss of dozens of lives, led to the destruction of Italo’s shop-laboratory and home. Without this event, the story would undoubtedly have been different. In the immediate post-war period, Italo and his son Brandino entered into a partnership with the company SICA, an industry that produced paints along with waxes and soaps. These were difficult times because it was not easy to find raw materials, and transportation was challenging. The company operated for a few years but failed to take off and closed down at the beginning of 1953. It was then that Brandino, who had been in charge of sales until then, convinced his father to start a new business, which found a home in a small premises on Via Reginaldo Giuliani. Thus, our company, Colorificio Brandini, was born.
Today it is a solid and efficient industry that has always followed the strategy of offering high quality, innovative products intended for professional users. With this in mind, it has equipped itself with technologically advanced systems that guarantee the achievement of excellent quality results in the production of both traditional solvent-based and innovative water-dispersed binder-based enamels and paints. The production in the field of water-based paints, both for interiors and exteriors, is extremely vast.
Our company has a very wide range of mass-produced items that place it at the forefront of manufacturing companies in the ability to offer paint products both in the retail sector and in the professional application sector.
With the Contribution of
Under the Patronage of
Referred to the final award ceremony, with the patronage of
