Venice80: Lorenzo Mattotti signs the manifesto.

The Italian illustrator and author Lorenzo Mattotti returns to collaborate with the Venice Biennale for the sixth time, signing the image of the official poster and creating the theme song for the 80th edition of the prestigious Venice International Film Festival.

The image chosen for the poster is inspired by the tradition of cinema on the road, as Lorenzo Mattotti explains. With this representation, the artist intends to express feelings of freedom, adventure and discovery of new territories, playing with graphics to evoke new worlds to be explored through Cinema. The author underlines his belief that the future of cinema holds promise for those who dare to look beyond and embark on new paths.

Furthermore, the poster celebrates the 80th edition of the Venice International Film Festival, and for this reason, there is the number “80” on a plate of a fictional car. This symbolic element is a tribute to the long history of the film festival. The image evokes several iconic road films, including “Il Sorpasso”, “Easy Rider”, and “Thelma and Louise”, but also leaves room for individual interpretation so that each viewer can find their favourite road film.

Lorenzo Mattotti is a well-known Italian illustrator who lives and works in Paris. He debuted as a comic book author in the late ’70s and gained international recognition for his work, including the prize for his book “Fuochi”. In the cinematic field, he collaborated on the film “Eros” in 2004, curating the presentation segments of some of the stories. He was also a creative consultant for the film “Pinocchio” by Enzo D’Alò.

Mattotti’s talent has been expressed in numerous books, including “Gli incidenti”, “Il signor Spartaco”, “Il dottor Nefasto” and “L’uomo alla finestra”. His works have been translated worldwide, and his illustrations have embellished internationally renowned newspapers and magazines. As a child, he illustrated various books, including “Pinocchio” and “Eugene”, which won the Bratislava Grand Prix in 1993.

In May 2019, Lorenzo Mattotti made his debut as an author and director of animated feature films with “La famosa invasione degli orsi in Sicilia”, presented with great success in the “Un certain Regard” section at the Cannes Film Festival, inspired by the fable/apologist by Dino Buzzati.

With his talent and his creativity, Lorenzo Mattotti continues to leave a significant footprint in the world of art and cinema, bringing his bright and colourful vision towards new explorations and frontiers. His signature on the poster and theme song of the 80th Venice Biennale is a wish for a prosperous and innovative future for cinema.

The 80th edition of the Venice International Film Festival at the Venice Biennale will be held from 30 August to 9 September 2023.