Winemaking tradition and artificial intelligence come together in this impressive installation by Fabrizio Plessi.

Always sensitive to the cultural and hedonistic allure of Valpolicella’s great wine, Fabrizio Plessi created this installation for the opening of Monteleone21 where, to the ancestral elements of his artistic journey – water, fire, lava, and wind – the artist adds another element: wine. Plessi uses four large boats, the Venetian “sandoli”, which represent another recurring theme in his artistic production: the boat is a symbol of Venice, of travel, of trade, but it is also a metaphor. “The boat is a metaphor for our lives and I am a solitary sailor” says Plessi, who leads us by the hand on this new journey, faithful to his world.

In this work, the master goes beyond his past use of technology, exploring artificial intelligence, used to create cascades of wine that descend from above in four large arches, almost like a divine gift, and then continue in a tumultuous flow through the screens inside the boats. Sound adds emotion to the experience, thanks to the contribution of composer Michael Nyman. The digital elements are counterpointed by four “arele” of bamboo that welcome the wilting grapes and, like roots, anchor the boats to the tradition and natural process of Amarone’s creation. This process comes to life on screens and becomes, indeed, a soul – of boats, of wine.