23 mai 2024 – Allianz MiCo
Discover the Unexpected Milan
by Ascanio Cuba

The project confirms the link between Var Group initiatives and the desire to interweave the story of digital innovation with art in order to enrich its message. "Discover The Unexpected" is in fact an expression with a double meaning that invites visitors to approach reality with an open and curious point of view, where they can discover on the one hand the different digital landscapes implemented by the cloud, and on the other hand some very suggestive but little-known places in Milan, the emblematic city of the renewed appointment in Italy of the AWS Summit. During the event, in fact, Var Group decided to offer the public the chance to delve into topics related to migration, application modernisation and trending topics such as GenAI and sustainability, combining them with a live printing stand experience performed by artist Ascanio Cuba.

The artist, through drawings made by himself, proposes a revisitation of three little-known places such as the picturesque igloo houses of the Maggiolina district, Villa Invernizzi and the hidden courtyard of Casa Rossi. The drawings, personalised by his own artistic stroke and signed with the distinctive symbol of his production, i.e. the climbing man, are printed directly at the event using the silkscreen technique.

A production that does not stop at mere artistic exercise, however: the entire production process, in fact, thanks to the collection of real time data and their processing in the cloud, are represented.

At the end of the 1970s, when Romeo Invernizzi bought two buildings in Via Dei Cappuccini, he had one of them demolished to create space for a large garden with a swimming pool, where he placed the most elegant bird species, the pink flamingos.

Born in Santiago de Cuba in 1988, Ascanio Cuba immediately absorbed the colours, sounds and energy of his city, elements that would later become distinctive in his art. He formally began his artistic education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Santiago de Cuba(Cuba), specialising in painting and drawing, where he refined different techniques, from painting to art printmaking.

Painter, Muralist, Silkscreenist - Lives in Milan

His father, an art historian at the Universidad Oriente in Santiago de Cuba, is also an artist, a painter. Master, father, friend, source of inspiration, engine and flame that allowed Ascanio to embark on this path. His poetics revolves almost entirely around the concept he generated 'Climbing the future', represented by the silhouette of a stylised man, a powerful metaphor for humanity's journey into the future and in particular the role art plays in this journey. This visual representation captures the essence of the struggle, progress and aspiration that characterise both human life and artistic practice. Through this image, it invites us to reflect on the continuous pursuit of excellence, the overcoming of obstacles and the inexorable march towards the future. Art becomes a medium through which humanity explores, understands and shapes its inspirations and dreams. The ascent symbolises the creative process itself, a journey that is at once personal and universal, intimate and shared, transcending the limits of language and rational thought to touch something deeper. Ultimately, the use of a silhouette that scales and reaches into the future underlines the importance of art as a vehicle for hope, inspiration and change. It challenges us to look beyond the immediate horizon and imagine possibilities as yet unknown but no less exciting. Through his paintings and murals Ascanio explores themes related to life and the human condition, giving rise to numerous collaborations including urban redevelopment projects (street-art) during fashion week, live-painting for events and exhibitions, scenographic installations, and numerous interdisciplinary projects.