AMANO CORPUS ANIMAE
THE ART OF A VISIONARY ANIME AND VIDEOGAMES MASTER
Lucca Comics & Games organizes the first European exhibition of Maestro Yoshitaka Amano
Milan, Fabbrica del Vapore from 13 November 2024 to 1 March 2025
Lucca, 26 June 2024 - More than 100 original works tell the story of animation and world entertainment. From 13 November 2024 to 1 March 2025 the first retrospective celebrating the 50-year career of the visionary Maestro Yoshitaka Amano will be held at Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan . The largest and most complete exhibition that has ever been dedicated to the Japanese artist in the West, a journey that links Milan, Sao Paulo, New York, Milan and Lucca. For Lucca Comics & Games this is an ambitious project aimed at reiterating its own cultural mission in celebrating the excellence of the creative industries. Lucca Comics & Games leaves its own city walls in the name of the art and design of an author who with his vision exemplified by 'Think like Amano' (the great New York exhibition in 1998), offers a very characteristic take on contemporary art.
A completely new concept for Lucca Comics & Games: the most important European event dedicated to comics, games, video games and entertainment. Amano Corpus Animae, the exhibition curated for Lucca Comics & Games by Fabio Viola is dedicated to a unique and multifaceted artist. From Tatsunoko to Final Fantasy , passing through Vogue: Amano is a creator of contemporary mythologies.
The installation project and the exhibition itinerary were created in collaboration with POLI.design, an international university center for training in the design sector founded in 1999 by the Polytechnic of Milan and recognized throughout the world as a unique ecosystem for research, postgraduate studies and professional training tailored to individuals and businesses.
With four sections , specifically designed, through a path made of visual art and immersive activations that bring different generations into a single place, the exhibition will lead us into the Master's experience through sketches, paintings, drawings and colors of iconic images now imprinted in the collective imagination. A journey made of time and space: starting from Pinocchio in the early 70s up to unpublished works of 2024 .
Yoshitaka Amano is in fact the author of the three posters for Lucca Comics & Games 2024: a work in three acts linked to the Puccini Centenary. The originals of the three posters will be included in the exhibition; the first, inspired by Tosca, was revealed today during the launch event of the community event, the Act I, Ouverture. The next two posters will be revealed respectively at the end of September (during Act II, Crescendo and on 30 October for the opening of Lucca Comics & Games 2024.
“Th exhibition is dedicated to the artistic corpus of Yoshitaka Amano - the visionary master and character designer of Hurricane Polymar and Tekkaman in the 80s, Final Fantasy and Sandman with Neil Gaiman. Lucca Comics & is approaching its sixtieth anniversary by expanding its ecosystem with ambitious and challenging projects like the Comics Museum. We are faithful to the mantra of wanting to create an event in which we would like to participate, this is the exhibition that we would like to see, in which we would like the Lucca Comics & Games community to participate" says Emanuele Vietina, director of Lucca Comics & Games.
Fabio Viola, curator of the exhibition, adds “Amano's visions have entered the lives of billions of people, influencing generations of artists and fans of comics, animation and video games. We are honored that one of the greatest creators of visual mythologies in the world has chosen Lucca Comics & Games and Italy for the first major retrospective celebrating fifty years of his career. A style composed of fluid lines that seem to dance on the canvas, bright colors that explode in a kaleidoscope of shades, and an ethereal atmosphere that invites the viewer into a dreamlike world are found in his great production; covers of iconic works such as Batman , Superman , Harley Quinn , Elektra & Wolverine, illustrations for graphic novels such as Vampire Hunter D and The Sandman , characters such as Pinocchio , Ape Magà , Gatchaman , Casshan , Hurricane Polimar and the entire initial imagery of Final Fantasy. Amano was able to cross the boundaries between mythology and fantasy, East and West, overcoming the barriers of languages and techniques to become the emblem of transmedia which has always represented one of the cornerstones of Lucca Comics & Games”.
“The exhibition aims to be an experience through the creative biography of maestro Amano. It will be a journey through real and inspirational works and environments, composed of materials, lights, sounds, but also through signs that connect Amano's work to memories from our lives. The exhibition, punctuated by a sequence of narratives and gestures, referring to Japanese culture, is also a tribute to the world of comics, the rituals that accompany it and the aesthetic models that arise from it, capable of always inspiring the world of fashion, design, graphics, cosmetics, music, cinema, theater and much more. The exhibition designed by POLI.design, in dialogue with the curator, will be hosted in the Fabbrica del Vapore and aimed at the public of comics lovers, at visitors who consider it a form of transversal and democratic art, but above all at the world of young creatives who live and study in Milan, who come from all over the world and who see design and creative disciplines as the best training ground for changing the world. In addition to the works and videos, the exhibition will host some events, workshops, talks and activities open to the public and the city for the entire opening period.” Anna Barbara, president of POLI.design, international university center for design in Milan.
YOSHITAKA AMANO - With a subtle and ethereal line that represents a bridge between the East and European art of the 20th century and which has characterized 50 years of production, Yoshitaka Amano has been able to carve out a unique place for himself in the contemporary artistic panorama. The Master's drawings have entered the homes of billions of people around the world in the form of graphic novels, visuals for big brands, iconic video games, anime with which the generations of the 70s and 80s grew up and animated films, but also as merchandising, theater sets, book illustrations. The exhibition retraces his multifaceted cross-media production, with over 100 works that have never arrived in Europe.
Amano is considered as the first character designer in the world, for his pure and specific focus in the creation of characters: at just 15 years old he was hired in the Tatsunoko animation studio, where he will give life to iconic characters such as Yattaman , Ape Magà , Gatchaman , the Time Machine , entered the homes of millions of people around the world. At 30, as a freelance artist, he illustrates comics and fantasy books with millions of copies, such as Vampire Hunter D and The Sandman . The pinnacle of success came with the video game saga Final Fantasy , whose characters established him as one of the greatest representatives of international Pop Culture, capable of moving between East and West. His subtle and charismatic line reveals profound classical influences such as the Japanese Ukiyo-e style, Art Nouveau, Surrealism and Pop Art.
THE EXHIBITION - Amano Corpus Animae , punctuated by a sequence of narrations and gestures, reflects the many souls of the author. Amano's multifaceted production across video games, comics, anime, theatre, fashion and fine art is retraced along four sections: from his first drawings for animation in the Tatsunoko period, to the drawings that have become iconic such as the variant covers of Batman or Superman or the cover of Vogue. A large section dedicated to the Maestro's contribution to the video game industry is unmissable: with original Final Fantasy drawings on display in Europe for the first time. Finally, the last section will focus on his fine art production with very large works that establish him as a master of art.
Thanks to the collaboration with POLI.design which takes care of the setup, the exhibition will be designed following an Experiential Design path, and will be characterized by Sensorial Cluster and Emerging Technologies Cluster.
VR EXPERIENCE - The exhibition will be accompanied by a VR experience that will give access to exclusive content. Visitors will be able to enter Yoshitaka Amano's three studios in Tokyo, places where his works are conceived and created. During this immersive journey into the Sensei's life it will be possible to touch the work tools, observe the books and objects of his daily life, but also access a large collection of works, many of which have never left his home, and which will also allow us to investigate other aspects of his artistic career. This "exhibition within the exhibition" will also be dedicated to the story of the representations of the female world, a theme very present in Amano's artistic production. At the end of the experience, everyone will be able to create a personal work of art using the primary colors, elements and Sensei's unmistakable style.
BEYOND THE EXHIBITION - In the spaces of the Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan - which over the years has hosted the works of hundreds of artists, from Andy Warhol and Tim Burton to Zerocalcare, offering experiences of the highest cultural level and great appeal - there will also be workshops, talks and artistic challenges with internationally renowned illustrators, animators, designers and stylists who will enliven the exhibition of the Master of Shizuoka during the 100 days of his stay. But not only that: influencers, super fans and communication experts will bring debates and discussions on the most current issues always linked to design, image and society.
FROM 18 JULY TO 09 JULY GO TO THE KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN! - A real Kickstarter campaign to fully enter the community of super fans of Maestro Yoshitaka Amano on the occasion of his first exhibition in Europe. A way to pre-order exclusive products and limited runs. The exhibition will open with a 'Backers' Wall' where the names of all those who supported the Master's first European exhibition and became part of his history will appear. By participating in the project it will be possible to have limited edition autographed art prints and the exhibition catalog in different editions , including the numbered and signed 'special edition' . Various objects created exclusively for the exhibition will also be available with the most beautiful works and the possibility of visiting the exhibition itself with an exceptional guide: Master Yoshitaka Amano himself !
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