Manaly for Illustri Festival: Drawing Complexity... in the Basilica Palladiana
Illustri Festival one of the most significant events in the world of Italian illustration, deeply rooted in Vicenza, specifically in the halls of the Basilica Palladiana. The 2024 edition is the largest ever organized, featuring a range of exhibitions, workshops, meetings, events, and talks, all focused on the theme of complexity. This year, Manaly contributed once again by designing and setting up two of the main exhibitions: "AI AM" and "Saranno Illustri, Illustri e Maestri Illustri." In this case study, we will focus on the latter, exploring in detail the concept, design, and setup within the Basilica Palladiana.
Illustri Festival
Context
Illustri Festival is a biennial event held in Vicenza, involving the entire city, from famous historical buildings to small cultural associations. The central theme of the 2024 edition is "Drawing Complexity", delving into how illustrators visually synthesize complex concepts, making them accessible and immediate.Manaly played a key role in one of the main exhibitions, hosted in the Basilica Palladiana, which was divided into three sections. These sections reflect the different stages of an artist’s growth, categorized as "Saranno Illustri," "Illustri," and "Maestri Illustri." The first represents young illustrators emerging in the Italian scene. The second showcases the top works of Italian illustration, featuring pieces from prominent national illustrators.The final section is dedicated to Beppe Giacobbe, one of the world’s most renowned illustrators, who presents an exhibition centered on insects. The display features conceptual and symbolic images, characterized by a visually essential and powerful language that invites reflection on our times.
Company
Illustri Festival is promoted by the Associazione Illustri in collaboration with the Department of Culture of the Municipality of Vicenza and Gallerie d’Italia – Vicenza, the museum venue of Intesa Sanpaolo. Founded in 2014, Associazione Illustri has established itself as a dynamic professional network that facilitates the meeting of established artists and emerging talents. Over the years, it has organized five editions of Illustri Festival, producing over 30 exhibitions and involving more than 250 illustrators in events, workshops, and meetings both in Italy and abroad. This unmissable event has transformed Vicenza into the true home of illustration and a reference point for illustrators.
188
Exhibited works
1000
linear meters of rope
23
Illustrators
Objective
This year’s challenge was to create an exhibition that could fully represent the central theme, complexity. The term derives from the Latin *cum-plectere*, meaning "to knot repeatedly, to intertwine," which became the main source of inspiration. Approaching complexity and embracing it to solve it is exactly what an illustrator does. Their work is a graphic synthesis that makes complex and abstract concepts understandable to the public. This mission unites all illustrators, from young emerging artists to the most established ones.Another objective for this year was to revise and renew the exhibition methods used in the previous edition. Specifically, the goal was to create lighter display structures that could enhance the artworks and harmoniously integrate with the suggestive environment of the Basilica Palladiana.
