THE LARGEST SAILING RACE IN THE WORLD
Trieste, 1 - 12 October 2025
Trieste, 1 - 12 October 2025
08.09.25
illycaffè and Barcolana 57 presented by Generali unveil the 2025 poster designed by Roberto Wilson
illycaffè and Barcolana have unveiled the official poster for the 2025 edition of the regatta, created by Robert Wilson, one of the last works created by the scenographer artist who passed away on August 1st. Following in the footsteps of Michelangelo Pistoletto (2015), Gillo Dorfles (2016), Maurizio Galimberti (2017), Marina Abramović (2018), Olimpia Zagnoli (2019), Lorenzo Mattotti (2020), Ron Arad (2021), Matteo Thun (2022), Judy Chicago (2023), and Stefan Sagmeister (2024), illycaffè has once again chosen one of the most influential figures in contemporary international art to represent Barcolana. This marks the eleventh year of illycaffè’s commitment to exploring and expressing the spirit of the event through the eyes of great artists.
Robert Wilson interprets Barcolana with a composition that is both rigorous and theatrical: every element is arranged with scenic precision, with light playing a central role. His work merges artistic passion with the sea, using bold, primary graphic elements. The blue, illuminated by light, transforms into sky, sea, and sails - returning the event to its essence, and powerfully conveying the core elements of the regatta.
To create the poster, Wilson drew inspiration from a line in Lady from the Sea, his collaboration with Susan Sontag, who adapted Ibsen’s classic play for the American director: “We don’t find it strange to belong to the land. How did this happen? Why did we come to belong to the land? Why not to the air? Why not to the sea? The desire to have wings. The strange dreams where you can fly without surprise - don’t they suggest something? And so there are people who believe they belong to the sea.”
“The 2025 Barcolana poster is a beautiful journey into the color blue - a shade we all carry within us as lovers of the sea,” said Mitja Gialuz, President of the Barcola and Grignano Sailing Society, which organizes the event. “Those who sail and live their passion for the sea find inspiration and strength in the nuances of blue. This color unites us all, just like this poster - one of the most striking in the collection of art and sea that illycaffè and Barcolana create together every year.”
“For more than twenty years, illycaffè has proudly supported Barcolana, sharing a deep passion for the sea, for our region, and for culture,” said Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffè. “Trieste is our birthplace, and supporting this event means celebrating our roots and fostering an ongoing dialogue between art, community, and territory. The 2025 poster, brought to life by the great Robert Wilson, is a tribute to the sea - to its profound essence, its imaginative power, and its ability to unite people beyond all borders.”
Barcolana 2025 will take place on October 12 in the Gulf of Trieste, with the race starting at 10:30 a.m. A rich program of events on land and at sea will begin on October 1.
Robert Wilson interprets Barcolana with a composition that is both rigorous and theatrical: every element is arranged with scenic precision, with light playing a central role. His work merges artistic passion with the sea, using bold, primary graphic elements. The blue, illuminated by light, transforms into sky, sea, and sails - returning the event to its essence, and powerfully conveying the core elements of the regatta.
To create the poster, Wilson drew inspiration from a line in Lady from the Sea, his collaboration with Susan Sontag, who adapted Ibsen’s classic play for the American director: “We don’t find it strange to belong to the land. How did this happen? Why did we come to belong to the land? Why not to the air? Why not to the sea? The desire to have wings. The strange dreams where you can fly without surprise - don’t they suggest something? And so there are people who believe they belong to the sea.”
“The 2025 Barcolana poster is a beautiful journey into the color blue - a shade we all carry within us as lovers of the sea,” said Mitja Gialuz, President of the Barcola and Grignano Sailing Society, which organizes the event. “Those who sail and live their passion for the sea find inspiration and strength in the nuances of blue. This color unites us all, just like this poster - one of the most striking in the collection of art and sea that illycaffè and Barcolana create together every year.”
“For more than twenty years, illycaffè has proudly supported Barcolana, sharing a deep passion for the sea, for our region, and for culture,” said Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffè. “Trieste is our birthplace, and supporting this event means celebrating our roots and fostering an ongoing dialogue between art, community, and territory. The 2025 poster, brought to life by the great Robert Wilson, is a tribute to the sea - to its profound essence, its imaginative power, and its ability to unite people beyond all borders.”
Barcolana 2025 will take place on October 12 in the Gulf of Trieste, with the race starting at 10:30 a.m. A rich program of events on land and at sea will begin on October 1.
