Portraits of sport, the art of photography captures champions

Portraits of sport is a photographic project dedicated to sport, its ideals, the beauty, talent and tenacity of its protagonists. The exhibition brings together 35 portraits inspired by the world of Italian sport made by a great photographer: Fabio Lovino. Along with the portraits come the stories. The story of the journey and of the challenges overcome to reach difficult goals. In his career Fabio Lovino, known for having immortalized many stars of Italian cinema such as Nanni Moretti, Marco Bellocchio, Margherita Buy (just to name a few) and international ones such as David Lynch, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, Tilda Swinton, has often crossed many athletes and made various covers with them for some important magazines such as Sportweek, Vanity Fair, iO Donna, Sette, Max. Some of those shots, which capture the images of champions, athletes, outside the sports fields, will form this exhibition detail that does not want to be a hall of fame but a tribute by the author to the spirit of sport.

On display are the boxing champions Roberto Cammarelle and Emanuele Blandamura, the Olympic and world swimming champions Federica Pellegrini and Luca Dotto, the canoeist Josefa Idem, the former athletics star Fiona May and the tennis player Matteo Berrettini. And then the Italian world and Olympic champions Rossella Flamingo, Rachele Bruni, Maria Marconi, Edwige Gwend, Odette Giuffrida and Simona Quadrarella with the patronage of an exhibition promoted and organized by Tania Cagnotto. The former glory of motorcycling Max Biaggi, the basketball player Andrea Bargnani “the magician” and the Tokyo 2020 gold Luigi Busà.

“A portrait – explains Roberta De Fabritiis, curator of the exhibition and one of the founders of Sport Senza Frontiere – is nothing but an instant out of time which, when it comes to a public figure, is entrusted to collective memory and becomes an icon. Symbol of a culture and its society, the athlete has always been a source of inspiration. Sport is a powerful means of aggregation and social inclusion, for us at Sport Senza Frontiere it is the formidable tool for fighting exclusion – especially of the most disadvantaged minors in our cities – and for building more just and open societies. These shots help us to convey the message”.

Through talent and charisma, the athlete manages to reach the public and transmit values ​​and ideals that make sport one of the greatest tools of innovation, social inclusion as well as well-being. Fabio Lovino with “Portraits of sport” also gives us a special emotion: a series of beautiful photos by Gianluca Vialli, a tribute by the author to the great football player who recently passed away, to whom the exhibition will be dedicated. The initiative is promoted and organized by Sport Senza Frontiere on the occasion of the Acea Run Rome The Marathon and places the exhibition in the calendar of special events promoted by the Rome Marathon. In fact, it will take place right at the turn of the famous sports competition on March 19th. The exhibition offers the possibility, through the purchase of the exhibited photos (through an auction), to support the activities of Sport Senza Frontiere. It is also possible to make a donation at this link and participate in the draw for a prize from 11 to 30 March 2023: a personal or family portrait, created by Fabio Lovino. By donating at least 30 euros you will receive the ticket which will give you the opportunity to participate in the draw and win the portrait. The draw will be carried out live on Sport Senza Frontiere’s Instagram and Facebook. For every 30 euros donated, you will be entitled to a ticket with your name and surname inside the ballot box. The exhibition enjoys the patronage of CONI and the collaboration of Palazzo Merulana and the Foundation
Elena and Claudio Cerasi, who offers a splendid location to the project, of Coop Culture and ESCO The event was born from the collaboration between Palazzo Merulana and Sport Senza Frontiere Onlus, which represent two of the souls of DMO ES.CO. Esquiline Community Gate of Rome. I GO OUT. is a Destination Management Organization, approved for funding by the Lazio Region as part of the public notice for the implementation of interventions in support of tourist destinations. The Palazzo Merulana Association and Sport Senza Frontiere Onlus are members together with 5 public bodies and 13 other private subjects who, in full spirit of collaborative community, work on the creation of proposals, opportunities, guest services with an innovative and inclusive look to promote sustainable tourism, capable of satisfying the needs of tourists and at the same time respecting the residents”.