Opera

"The Traditional Art of the Neapolitan Pizzaiuolo is recognized as part of the cultural heritage of humanity, transmitted from generation to generation and continuously recreated, able to provide the community with a sense of identity and continuity and to promote respect for cultural diversity and human creativity. "With these wonderful words, UNESCO recognizes and celebrates the greatness of a true form of art, that of the Neapolitan Pizzaiuolo, which since 2017 is among the Intangible Heritage of Humanity. And this greatness lies not only in the manual skills of the Master Pizzaiuolo but also and above all in the cultural, historical and identity value of the True Neapolitan Pizza.

We at AVPN are proud to be able to say that part of this historic recognition is the result of our commitment and dedication to protecting and safeguarding Neapolitan Pizza in Italy and around the world since 1984; We did it first of all by defining a rigorous production specification, and we continue to do so by training competitions and national and international initiatives.

But this year we wanted to do something even grander.. We have given our Intangible Heritage a "material" dimension, through the Celebratory Work of the True Neapolitan Pizza and the Art of the Neapolitan Pizzaiuolo, a tangible sign that will last forever, as well as the first monument entirely dedicated to a typical dish. And it was a real honor to have the opportunity to collaborate with an artist of the caliber of Maestro Lello Esposito for the realization of the work. Lello is the son of Naples, and Naples has given him all its beauty and its innumerable symbols so that Espositovi consecrate all his incredible creativity in his pictorial and sculptural masterpieces. No one better than him could therefore give life to a monument so full of symbolism and meaning for Naples, which is recognized all over the world as the cradle of pizza.

As AVPN, we wanted to create such an important work, directly and thanks to the contribution of affiliated pizzerias around the world, which will be visible through a QR code on the monument; a sign of gratitude for the master pizza makers who are the real protagonists of the journey made so far and that we are sure the City of Naples will be able to welcome one of its wonderful squares where tourists can take their selfies with the most beautiful pizza in the world.


Antonio Pace, Massimo Di Porzio e Paolo Surace

PIZZA
2021, Bronze and lava stone

A large bronze disc, the iconic form of pizza, one of the most popular and appreciated Italian foods in the world.

An irregular roundness that reveals, with its jagged shape, the traces of an artistic manipulation in the sculptural matter.

Lines, signs, reliefs and endorsements are the memory of the movements of the hands of the sculptor who moulds and imprints in the metal the representation of the wise gestures of the Neapolitan pizza makers: another art form, secular expression of genius, of the passion and dedication that are the basis of the preparation of this food.

The background color of the sculpture is a clear reference to the red of the tomato, pleasant eruption of taste, that it recalls to the palate and the mind that Vesuvius on whose slopes this ultracentenaria history of taste has been born.

At the center of the work are carved four basil leaves that, arranged like a four-leaf clover and the color "green hope", assume symbolic value of good luck and positivity.

On its surface, 12 metal sheets embossed with golden patina, are visual reminder of the "White Gold" of Campania: mozzarella, another essential ingredient in the canonical preparation of pizza.

The twelve is not a random number, but a precise reference of the artist to the number of months of the year and the hours antimeridiane and sundials that are counted in a day: symbol of a time to devote to conviviality and the pleasure of enjoying good food.

The pizza, represented in an imposing sculpture of 2 meters in diameter, leaves the usual horizontal plane for a "verticalism" that translates into a monumental vision of this icon of taste, Over the years it has become a symbol of culinary excellence at a global level.

A monument to Napoletanity and good food, symbolic and tangible work of the UNESCO recognition of 2017 that recognized as intangible heritage of humanity "the traditional art of the Neapolitan Pizzaiuolo".