red regatta

Red sails: a parade of flags in an infinity of shades of red that stand out against the backdrop of Venice and its lagoon. A highly evocative show that, if on the one hand wants to celebrate the ancient and vital Venetian maritime tradition, on the other it intends to focus attention on the dangers that threaten the city. In Red Regatta nothing was left to chance: all the sails were made to measure for each of the fifty-two participating boats, each shade of color was prepared by Melissa McGill who then hand painted the fabrics, during a workshop that involved the owners of the boats and a group of students from the Iuav. Each boat, privately owned and registered with the Vela al Terzo Venezia Association, is a traditional model with a flat bottom and a removable mast, rigorously armed with “third” sails (so called because the upper antenna that supports the sail is fixed to the shaft about one third of its length).

The volume, designed by graphic designer Beatriz Cifuentes of the New York studio Waterhouse Cifuentes, collects the essay by Chiara Spangaro, dedicated to the artist’s activity, and that of the Venetian journalist and writer Silvio Testa, member of the Vela al Terzo Association, who reveals the secrets and history of the tradition of sailing to the third in the lagoon. The narrative voice of the artist and the testimonies of the owners of the boats that made up the Red Regatta fleet tell firsthand the genesis, the emotions and the behind the scenes of this incredible choral work.

Edition: 2021