We are pleased to announce that last 31 October, the evocative setting of the Liang She Ye Yan restaurant, Shanghai, provided the backdrop for the unveiling of the pictorial work "Jin Du 津渡" by Chinese artist He Xi, inspired by Masi’s iconic wine, the Costasera Amarone. The initiative is part of the “Costasera Contemporary Art” project, seeing the involvement of the most prestigious names in international art to create an original work inspired by Masi’s flagship Amarone then reproduced on the label of a fine selection of the Valpolicella red.
For the new edition, the vintage is 2001, in a limited edition of 3000 bottles: an exclusive offering for admirers and collectors of art.
The project sees China playing a key role thanks to the support of Masi’s importer ASC Fine Wines. The choice has fallen to He Xi, Director of the Research and Artistic Creation Laboratory of the Chinese Painting Academy of Shanghai, author of refined paintings on silk and rice paper and who has exhibited in important museums and collections across the globe.
"Jin Du 津渡", the Ancient Chinese term for transport by water, is the title of the work that has as its subject a flight of butterflies on the ocean. The inspiration comes from Verona, the birthplace of Romeo and Juliet, protagonists of a romantic love story that recalls a Chinese legend whose epilogue is the flight of two butterflies into which the protagonists were transformed, two unfortunate young lovers. Further inspiration comes from the story of the explorer Marco Polo, who brought traditional porcelain and silks from China; this is also the reason why the artist decided to paint on silk. In terms of technique, the sea ripples are in free brush stroke style (Xieyi), while butterflies are in the traditional meticulous style of Chinese painting.
The proceeds from the sale of the bottles of Costasera Amarone 2001 will again fund a scholarship this year, allowing a young Chinese artist to learn the art of glass at the renowned Berengo studio on the Venetian island of Murano.
