Casa Sanlorenzo Capitalizing The Art in Artisan

If you want to drive change, you need to spark curiosity. And to spark curiosity you need to be emotive, you need to offer a new perspective – you need art.

Sanlorenzo Group is in the business of experiences. It’s on a continual quest to find new ways of experiencing the sea and to maximise the enjoyment for its clients across its full range of products, from all brands within the Group. And to say it does this well would be an understatement, considering it’s one of the world’s most prolific (and arguably most successful) luxury yacht builders. Year-on-year it exceeds projected market growth, and in 2023 alone it delivered an impressive 80 yachts. Yet the Group does not stop here.

And rightly so. Some serious challenges need to be addressed – not industry issues, but global ones. The climate crisis is the most pressing, and Sanlorenzo is at the forefront, challenging the possible; fighting for a brighter, greener future. The Italian builder has written sustainability into its identity and the technical progress it’s making towards net-zero is well documented. Its roadmap is extensive and this year is a key milestone for the Group, as it prepares to launch the pioneering Superyacht to utilise green methanol.

But what is less documented is the intangible and more philosophical ground it covers to stimulate change. It has an entire division dedicated to sparking curiosity and invoking emotive responses to tackle the big social and cultural challenges of today. It’s doing this through art.

Fondazione Sanlorenzo first unveiled at Art Basel in Basel in 2023

Sculptural awareness

Sanlorenzo is an artisan in its own right. It sculpts luxury vessels that are built by specialised craftspeople who spend years finessing each masterpiece. One of its 60-65-metre motor yachts takes roughly 500,000 hours of work to complete, with at least 180 people involved in the build. Every Sanlorenzo product is pedigree and carries the esteemed “Made in Italy” stamp, with every detail created in-house or locally. The reputable names amongst its team include Piero Lissoni, Rodolfo Dordoni, Citterio Viel, Patricia Urquiola and Studio Liaigre.

Sanlorenzo is also heavily involved in the esteemed global fine art circuits. Sanlorenzo Arts has collaborated with leading cultural institutions such as La Triennale di Milano, with the installation “Sanlorenzo: Il mare a Milano” which won the Compasso d’Oro ADI 2020 and Tornabuoni Arte; FuoriSalone, with the installation “From shipyard to courtyard” curated by Piero Lissoni. Sanlorenzo was also the main sponsor of the Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale Arte 2022 and was the Institutional Patron of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice between 2020 to 2022.

But where it’s most active is with Art Basel, with which it signed an exclusive agreement in 2018 as a global partner across all four of its annual showcases: Miami Beach, Hong Kong, Paris and Basel. Sanlorenzo challenges overt status quos year-on-year at Art Basel, seeking the emotive holy grail. It uses art to creatively bridge the gap between innovations at its shipyards and wider social challenges. “La Macchina Impossibile”, an installation by Sanlorenzo’s Piero Lissoni, is one of the latest examples.

La Macchina Impossibile by Sanlorenzo, Milan Design Week 2023

Showcased during Milan Design Week 2023 at the University of Milan, Lissoni interpreted Sanlorenzo’s unwavering commitment to reducing yachts’ environmental impact. “La Macchina Impossibile” told the story of the innovative hydrogen technology Sanlorenzo is developing with Siemens Energy in an interplay of moving propellers and gears. Its reception sparked many meaningful conversations about novel fuel sources – conversations which will only be overshadowed by the forthcoming 50Steel, the yacht that utilises the same technologies.

La Macchina Impossibile by Sanlorenzo, Milan Design Week 2023

Sanlorenzo Arts will have his headquarters in Venice, with the grand inauguration of Casa Sanlorenzo this year during the Biennale of Art. Located near the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute in the south of the city, the palatial headquarters will foster intelligent conversation, standing as a bastion of culture and artistic betterment. And being located in Venice, it underscores a strong commitment to the city’s future, symbolising hope for a more sustainable global future.

More details about Sanlorenzo Arts were revealed during the Hong Kong Art Basel 2024.

Fondazione Sanlorenzo

Driven by aspirations of change, Massimo Perotti, Chairman of Sanlorenzo, founded Sanlorenzo Arts and Fondazione Sanlorenzo in 2021. The latter, conceived to uplift the lesser-known Italian islands and their inhabitants, extends vital financial aid to projects fostering sociocultural, economic growth, and environmental stewardship.