Pirelli and made in Italy in Venice: M9 – Museum of the 20th century welcomes the icons of “Identitalia”
Identitalia – The Iconic Italian Brands, the exhibition celebrating the great names of Italian industry, curated by the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy, arrives in Venice on September 26, 2025 at FONDAZIONE M9 – MUSEO DEL 900 in Venice Mestre. This new edition reprises the show originally staged in 2024 at the Palazzo Piacentini in Rome to mark the 140th anniversary of the Italian Patent and Trademark Office.
Pirelli once again plays a central role in the event, with a curated selection of documents, objects, photographs and audiovisual materials tracing the company’s history over time. From the earliest logo designs of the late nineteenth century to the instantly recognisable “Long P”; from the high-octane world of motor racing, with photographs of triumphs on both two and four wheels—from the epic Peking-Paris race to the circuits of Formula 1—by way of the company’s factories and R&D labs. The show also features the distinctive visual language of Pirelli advertising campaigns, from the Futurist visions of the 1930s to the visionary designs of the international graphic artists in the years of the economic boom. Highlights include the unforgettable 1994 image by Annie Leibovitz, portraying Carl Lewis in stiletto heels—the first Olympic icon to embody the legendary slogan “Power is Nothing without Control”.
The display also includes the 2007 Pirelli Calendar, shot by the Dutch photography duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, adorned on the cover by none other than Sophia Loren, a diva divine in black and white.
Through its renewed collaboration with MIMIT, the exhibition reaffirms Pirelli’s place among the great ambassadors of excellence Made in Italy. A “Long P” that started out in Milan over 150 years ago, and that is now a truly global icon.
Identitalia – The Iconic Italian Brands, the exhibition celebrating the great names of Italian industry, curated by the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy, arrives in Venice on September 26, 2025 at FONDAZIONE M9 – MUSEO DEL 900 in Venice Mestre. This new edition reprises the show originally staged in 2024 at the Palazzo Piacentini in Rome to mark the 140th anniversary of the Italian Patent and Trademark Office.
Pirelli once again plays a central role in the event, with a curated selection of documents, objects, photographs and audiovisual materials tracing the company’s history over time. From the earliest logo designs of the late nineteenth century to the instantly recognisable “Long P”; from the high-octane world of motor racing, with photographs of triumphs on both two and four wheels—from the epic Peking-Paris race to the circuits of Formula 1—by way of the company’s factories and R&D labs. The show also features the distinctive visual language of Pirelli advertising campaigns, from the Futurist visions of the 1930s to the visionary designs of the international graphic artists in the years of the economic boom. Highlights include the unforgettable 1994 image by Annie Leibovitz, portraying Carl Lewis in stiletto heels—the first Olympic icon to embody the legendary slogan “Power is Nothing without Control”.
The display also includes the 2007 Pirelli Calendar, shot by the Dutch photography duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, adorned on the cover by none other than Sophia Loren, a diva divine in black and white.
Through its renewed collaboration with MIMIT, the exhibition reaffirms Pirelli’s place among the great ambassadors of excellence Made in Italy. A “Long P” that started out in Milan over 150 years ago, and that is now a truly global icon.