Monza doesn't sleep, great tennis lights up Teodolinda's night

Monza – Lounge with the Monza shopping spruced up Friday evening, with shops open for the occasion until 21.30pm, to accompany the final of the International Tennis Tournament ATP Challenger Atkinsons Monza Open 25 on Saturday and Sunday. Thanks to Friday evening, which anticipates the weekend and brings with it a relaxed atmosphere, in the three shopping streets - via Italia, via Carlo Alberto and via Vittorio Emanuele - towards the aperitif and dinner hour the strolling has become more intense.

The bars and restaurants on Via Carlo Alberto are full, for an open-air dinner in the warm air of mid-spring. Many curious people approach the windows to admire the work of the fifteen artists from Brianza who have created tennis-themed works. Good turnout of public from Brianza, but also from abroad, who came especially for the ATP Challenger Atkinsons. English, French, German intersect in an international Monza for a day.

They stop to admire Martino Midali's clothing collection. Inside Ilaria Franza, author of the work on display “Un.limited“ explains the poetics of her work. “I live in Brianza and my studio is in Verano – she says – my mother is originally from Lake Orta, which has become my favorite place, where all my works originate, outdoors, especially between May and September. This is why I like to call myself a grape harvester of works”.

Ilaria was also inspired by nature to design the work dedicated to tennis, because each painting develops as a project that is then transferred to the canvas. But every time a cloud, a gust of wind come to shuffle the cards of the first suggestion, changing the situation. This also happens in tennis: a badly caught ball, unexpected, a shot expected from one side of the court that turns into a smash, forces you to change your response in a fraction of a second. So the artist isolates the moment: the ball that falls and bounces tells the story of the unexpected moment, like the unforeseen event in life to which you have to decide how to react, in the blink of an eye.

“Never give up – suggests Ilaria, in perfect Brianza style – just like the tennis champions who continue their action until victory”. The yellow of the work is also taken up by the balls and the display of the window itself. Even the author of the work, in her acid green patterned suit, brings with her a touch of yellow that goes well with the window. “Yellow like the sun that illuminates and gives energy. It makes us feel good – These are the comments of two ladies who approach the work in the window –. There is a need for artistic breathing space in the midst of so much tension”, they comment. Many curious people stop in front of the fluorescent-colored work by Andy of Bluvertigo, created for Amerigo. Each window offers a suggestion, a cue.

“This way of structuring the initiatives – underlines the Councillor for Trade and Productive Activities Charles Abba – is a tool to involve the city in sporting events”. Just like in September in the days preceding the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, the shops in the centre also dress up in theme to welcome visitors; the aim is to create tourist attraction by connecting the tennis event to the shopping streets.

As the councilor recalled, from a sample survey of the 334 thousand people who come to follow the Grand Prix, many have discovered the city during the race and say they will return. Of course, the ATP Challenge does not move the enormous numbers of fans of the motor racing GP, but the 1600-1800 seat stands always full of fans and curious people have created a good number of enthusiastic people around Monza, from the surrounding area, but also from abroad. And, according to the results of the surveys, many will return.