The exhibition by Karl Kopinski “make a stop” in Florence
The exhibition titled “Karl Kopinski: Remporter le Jaune” is organized by Lucca Comics & Games, promoted by Tuscany Region, with the support from the European Regional Development Fund for Sustainable Mobility and the Interreg Italy-France Maritime Program.
This exhibition is dedicated to the great heroes of international cycling, by one of Europe’s most important illustration masters, Karl Kopinski. It will be hosted at Palazzo Strozzi Sacrati in Florence, the city from which the Tour de France will start on June 29. This year, the Tour will celebrate its Grand Départ from Italy for the first time in its history. Over 30 works will be on display from June 28 to July 21, for free.
The exhibition celebrates Kopinski’s love and passion for cycling; he is a cycling enthusiast and a long-time friend of Lucca Comics & Games, who, through his work, recreates, in an unique and profound way, many portraits of the cyclists who have made worldwide history in this sport; from Gino Bartali to Fausto Coppi, including the Frenchmen Anquetil and Poulidor, the pirate Marco Pantani, the cannibal Eddy Merckx, and contemporary champions like Mark Cavendish, Bob Jungels, Bradley Wiggins, Tadej Pogačar, and many others.
Accompanying the exhibition are twelve huge special installations in Piazza Duomo, right in front of Palazzo Strozzi Sacrati. These are twelve giant transparent and colorful marbles that reproduce some of Kopinski’s most representative works; the installations are inspired by the marbles many of us played with on the beach as children.
Bound by a deep affection for the city of Lucca and the Lucca Comics & Games festival, Kopinski created the festival poster in 2015 and the Grog for 2023, a reinterpretation of the Lucca Games mascot that celebrated its 30th anniversary last year.