There are two new ambassadors who will have the task of representing and promoting Turin in the world. During the ceremony in the Red Hall of Palazzo Civico, the mayor Stefano Lo Russo and the president of the municipal council Maria Grazia Grippo presented the honor to Maria Beatrice Merz it’s at Valerio Minato.
“This recognition – explained the mayor Stefano Lo Russo – represents not only a thank you for the activity in which two illustrious fellow citizens stand out but also the request to help us talk about and promote our city. Very often it is said of us Turin people that we are good at doing things but less good at telling them: this is the task in which, from today, we will ask for their commitment”.
“For having significantly contributed to the research activity on contemporary art, which for twenty years has found in the Merz Foundation an active and prolific laboratory of ideas and a meeting place and comparison for national and international artists”. This is the motivation of the recognition to Maria Beatrice Merz, president and director of the foundation named after the painter, sculptor and well-known Turin exponent of Arte Povera Mario Merz.
Beatrice Merz thanked the mayor, the president of the City Council and “the whole city who welcomes us and comes to visit us. Our role – you said – is to work in this city but bring it to the world. Turin – she added – has always been a starting point and a landing point for my entire family, with this role I intend to ensure that it becomes even more so”.
Valerio Minato, photographer, is instead the author of numerous shots of Turin. Awarded last December 25 by NASA for the photo of the Basilica of Superga with Monviso and the moon behind it, today he was recognized “for having immortalized with a careful eye and dedication the soul and beauty of Turin, creating a visual treasure for the people of Turin and beyond. His dedication to the city is reflected in every detail of his photographs, transmitting his love for Turin to anyone who looks at them”.
“I do the most beautiful job I can imagine, in the city that welcomed me twenty years ago – he said Valerio Minato -. A city that I began to love and photograph in every corner, a hobby that over time became a full-time occupation. In recent months my shots have brought me many beautiful things and this recognition is certainly among them.”
The City established the title of ambassador in the world of excellence of the Turin area in 2020 to allocate it to citizens, from Turin and beyond, who have distinguished themselves for their contribution to the development and image of the Turin area. Ambassadors are included in a special register and have the task of representing and promoting the excellence of the territory and the artistic, architectural and cultural heritage that Turin can offer tourists, institutions and businesses from all over the world.
