Marco Balich awarded ‘Venetian of the year 2022’
The ceremony for the conferment of the special recognition ‘Venetian of the year 2022’ took place this morning in the Apollonian halls of the Teatro La Fenice, with the participation of the councilor for social cohesion Simone Venturini representing the Administration.
The acknowledgment, now in its 43rd edition, was awarded by the Settemari association and delivered by councilor Venturini to Marco Balich, organizer and creative director of major international events (including, to mention the most recent, some ceremonies of opening of the Olympics, the show of the last World Cup in Qatar, important concerts and in the past also some editions of the Venice Carnival). The appointment was attended, among others, by Pier Luigi Borella, coordinator of the award and Fortunato Ortombina, superintendent of the Teatro La Fenice.
«Thank you for wanting, once again, to pay homage to the city – underlined the commissioner Simone Venturini – with this important appointment that tells the story of some of the most famous citizens of Venice in recent years. As in an adventure or training novel, through the story of the lives of some an era is told, the story of a community and its evolutionary path. This award truly represents the most important moment of reflection on the citizens who have brought prestige to Venice. Thanks to the Settemari promoting committee and to all the people who have worked in recent decades to keep the event alive with a double track: one linked to tradition, to the valorisation of the guardians of traditions and the other to the contemporary, to the ability to hook up to the times of the present, even emerging ones. Venice – continued the commissioner – in the decades of the 1900s underwent various transformations, it suffered a lot from some changes, such as the de-industrialization of the chemical pole, even before the construction of the latter, depopulation, the crisis and the escape of some large production centers to other areas. But it has also known how to get back into the game after major setbacks, such as that of 2019. This teaches us that through the Venetians’ ability to look at the present, Venice can claim to be the most contemporary city in the world, which knows how to offer a high quality of life , which can attract talent and has seen the birth of hybrid and nomadic ways of working, innovative possibilities for a community of creatives. We are working on this, starting from the talents who have set out from Venice to conquer the world. Giving the recognition to Marco Balich means rewarding contemporary Venice, which dared, broke the mold by speaking new languages with courage».
The ‘Venetian of the year’ award is promoted by the Settemari association and is awarded to people, organizations or institutions that contribute with their activity, their commitment and their testimony to the social and cultural improvement of the city or to spread the name and the prestige of Venice in the world. Among the Venetians who have received the award from 1978 to today: Uto Ughi and Bruno Tosi, Antonio Rosa Salva, Mara Venier, Giancarlo Ligabue, Egidio Martini, Alvise Zorzi and many others. Among the entities, companies and institutions awarded instead, we also find the Armenian Mkhitarist Community, the Teatro La Fenice and the Jewish Community