Home - Il Silenzio > A Marco Simoncelli Tribute

Our tribute to Marco Simoncelli, ten years later.

A limited edition, luxurious, innovative photo book. A Fine Art photo exhibition. A book with a story that begins and ends in Sepang, during the 2011 season. 254 unpublished photos, stories, analysis and two hours of podcast to explain the art of an extraordinary rider.

Ten years after Marco Simoncelli’s death, at a time when MotoGP has nearly completed an entire generational cycle, the moment has come to give a clearer historical picture to one of the most extraordinary riders of all time.

This editorial effort has a singular focus, to explain Marco Simoncelli, studying his art in order to understand everything he represented. A deeper look into the kind of rider he really was, how his successes and failures shaped his character, his thoughts, beliefs and goals. It also offers a glimpse of what he could have become, given that his life was cut short at the age of 24 while he was fast approaching maturity as a racer and one step away from victory in the premier class.

In the world championship, where he raced for only nine and a half years, he collected less than he could have and should have, but he was loved by so many, nearly reaching sainthood after his death, it has to mean that there was something special in him.

Despite being a source of inspiration for young people, Marco Simoncelli left a legacy that is difficult to transfer because he was a rider who is almost impossible to imitate. His racing style is of unsuspected complexity. From the outside he was spontaneous and impetuous, but in reality his decisions on and off the race track were calculated and focused on his goals of being a winner.

Marco Simoncelli was a dreamer who pursued his goals with extreme determination. In life as in death, he was lost in battle, always believing in himself and the possibility of winning in MotoGP.

He is also a tragic character, beyond just the myths of memory, truly worthy of upholding the banner of his own history. He would have had to be something special to remain such a force in people’s memories. Otherwise, he was only someone famous who raced motorcycles.

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Il Silenzio is a coordinated project, structured through three elements.

L'Opera

A valuable, exclusive object, limited and numbered.

It’s not just a book, but an immersive experience.

IL VOLUME

2011: from Sepang to Sepang. The story of a phenom such as Marco Simoncelli cannot just be told, he has to be explained. We decided to do so by retracing his last season. It is a path that leads to many incursions into his history, helping to understand what animated him, his thought process and his approach to racing.

FINE ART PRINTS.

Taste a new emotion and buy an object that increases its value over time, embellishing your home or office. Among the images that make up the exhibition, 5 have be chosen for you. Each of these will be printed in a maximum of 25 copies, all numbered, stamped and guaranteed with a Hahnemühle Certificate of Authenticity.

LA MOSTRA

Since at certain levels riding a racing motorcycle is an art form, and the Il Silenzio concept is based on the idea of expressing creativity, L’Opera and Il Volume take the form of a photographic exhibition, based on a selection of images contained in the two paper products. All artifacts are printed as Fine Art.

To be updated on dates and locations of La Mostra, follow us on social channels or write to info@ilsilenzio58.it

THE AUTHORS

Enrico Borghi

Born in Modena, a professional journalist and writer attending to motorsports for 30 years, spending much of his career working for the magazine Motosprint. First, following Motocross and Supercross in the USA, then in the MotoGP paddock since 2003. Editor in Chief of Motosprint from 2016 to 2019. In 2019 Enrico founded and took the role of Editor-in-Chief for SLICK Magazine.

Author of several books, Borghi also co-authored alongside Valentino Rossi for the autobiography “What if I never tried it” (Random House) and “Pensa se non ci avessi provato” (Mondadori) for the Italian version.

Enrico Borghi's words

Mirco Lazzari

Lazzari began his work in the world of the Motorsport photography 24 years ago, shooting for Autosprint. In 2002, while continuing with F1, WSBK and World Rally competitions, he joined the MotoGP Circus following a project for Phillip Morris sharing the careers of young pilots such as Dovizioso, Lorenzo and Marquez. A Getty Images photographer and author of about forty photographic books in the field, Mirco is characterized by his photographic style that conveys speed, a trait for which he is recognized worldwide. In 2016 he was chosen by Nikon as one of five testimonials in the world for their flagship D5 camera.

Mirco Lazzari's words

L'OPERA

A luxurious, exclusive and limited edition work. A true work of art.

A journey out of the ordinary, with an exceptional guide to accompany the reader between the pages. Mirco Lazzari, the author of the photographs, explains in depth how a shot was born, taking readers behind the curtain and remembers special moments that bind him to Marco through a gallery of podcasts accessible with a QR code.

L’Opera is a book to observe, touch, smell and… listen to. It is an immersive experience.

Listen to a preview of a podcast dedicated to an image

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Encased in a large box, closed and inviting, like the objects in the attic waiting to be found. It opens upside down, because it contains a story with an unplanned ending. This box must be opened delicately, to be carried away by the memories and emotions that everyone feels and assimilates in his or her own way.

L’Opera is not just a book, but a sensory experience. An opportunity to learn, read and listen. To be moved, to re-evaluate, to understand. Because ten years after his death, Marco Simoncelli, aka SuperSic, gives the impression of an outsider who descended upon an environment that was not ready for the upheaval he would cause.

The world of Grand Prix racing was accustomed to great talents, dominators, rational champions, and of course great characters, but between 2008 and 2011 it seemed that no one was able to understand and manage the phenomenon of Simoncelli. It was an all encompassing experience for the entire GP environment, and he left a mark on a generation not only of professionals (drivers, engineers, managers, journalists) but also of spectators.

EXCLUSIVITY

The print run is limited to 2011 copies, representing the year in which Marco’s dream was broken

THE FORM OF ART

242 pages, 193 phots, 5 types of high-quality paper, 2 protective boxes.

LOOK, READ... LISTEN

Immerse yourself in this experience, listening to the voices of the authors. Podcasts are only available for those who buy the book.

Listen

ORDER YOUR COPY

L’Opera is sold uniquely here.

LIMITED EDITIONS PRICE INCREASE: SECURE YOUR COPY NOW.

IL VOLUME.

This journey begins and ends in Sepang Malaysia, among the vast plantations of oil palms, about fifty kilometers from the capital, Kuala Lumpur. Marco, inexorably pursuing his destiny, in 2011 covered his first meter on the track on the same asphalt and in the same scenario in which he covered the last one, at the Sepang International Circuit. This circuit, by a sensational coincidence, bears the initials of the moniker he had given himself—SIC.

IL VOLUME IS IN ITALIAN ONLY.

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It is a journey through time that covers about eight months, from the beginning of February to the end of October. It does not include November, with race number 18 because the GP of Valencia was an event dedicated to Marco, and because the celebration of this work is his life, Valencia was not a focus for us.

At the end of this path, looking back at all that happened on that fateful day in October 2011, it is much simpler to interpret those events with the benefit of reflection. Ten years of contemplation helps us all to understand the artistry of a man who moved the entire nation of Italy, captivated the world of motorsport, and broke every collective heart when he was suddenly taken from us.

In order to explain Marco Simoncelli, we decided to tell the story of his last season—the 2011 championship which was quite relevant in the history of Grand Prix racing—enriched with a long series of incursions from his entire career in the World Championship. This, in our opinion, is the most effective way to understand his art and what originated and fed his desire to share it with the world.

LA MOSTRA.

58 images, selected from the 254 of the Il Silenzio project and printed as fine art, make up the Exhibition.

Since at certain levels riding a racing motorcycle is a form of art, and since the concept for Il Silenzio is based on the idea of expressing creativity, L’Opera and Il Volume take the form of a photographic exhibition.

As with painting or sculpture, photography can invoke a perception, a feeling, an impulse. It awakens an emotion, expresses an idea, conveys a message. Therefore, the photographer becomes an artist, connecting his vision with the observer.

To receive updates on times and locations of the exhibition, follow us on social channels or write to info@ilsilenzio58.it

La Mostra will be an opportunity to meet the authors, who will speak at each one for a live storytelling event.

La Mostra can be presented during events, at racing circuits, in the exhibition spaces of companies and partners of the project, for promotional activities and external relations.

For information: patrocinio@ilsilenzio58.it

La Mostra can be presented during events, at racing circuits, in the exhibition spaces of companies and partners of the project, for promotional activities and external relations.

For information: patrocinio@ilsilenzio58.it

FINE ART PRINTS.

The term denotes a special branch of photography, distinguished for example from sports photojournalism, and a technique that aims at the artistic and pictorial quality of an image. Fine Art offers the highest possible quality for photographic printing.

Fine Art printing follows a precise production process. This starts from the moment the image is taken, as it must have the characteristics suitable for the subsequent processing phase of the file, which takes place in a clean environment.

The resulting file is printed on high quality paper, 100% pure cotton or cellulose fiber. In contact with acidic substances such as ink pigments, paper tends to deteriorate over time.

To overcome this process, paper is made by adding substances to the pulp (such as micro-particles of platinum oxide) to increase the basic charge. This, along with the high quality of the original Epson UltraChrome HDR® inks and the printer, guarantees a product lifetime of more than 100 years.

The term “Giclée” refers to this process of printing digital artwork on paper or canvas using a highly professional inkjet printer, not to be compared to ordinary domestic inkjet printers.

The photographic printing of Fine Art is therefore the synthesis of technique and art to achieve an artifact of the highest quality and durability.

Among the images that make up the exhibition, 5 have be chosen for you. Each of these will be printed in a maximum of 25 copies, all numbered, stamped and guaranteed with a Hahnemühle Certificate of Authenticity.

You can choose between two formats:

– 50 x 70 cm
– 70 x 100 cm