29 May 2025
On May 29, 1985, the world watched in shock as one of the most horrific tragedies ever to take place in a soccer stadium unfolded, during which 39 people lost their lives. Time cannot soothe or alleviate the grief of that unforgettable day, yet Juventus continues to preserve the memory of the Heysel victims inside the new Juventus citadel in the Continassa complex through the Verso Altrove memorial work, which has been inaugurated today, Thursday, 29 May 2025.
The memorial, which is located on Strada della Continassa, in the immediate vicinity of the Allianz Stadium and the Juventus Training Center, was designed and created by Luca Vitone, one of the most well-known contemporary Italian artists. Through his work, personal memory intersects with collective history, and the place takes on a renewed meaning, becoming an anthropological experience that encourages a deeper thinking regarding both nature and culture. From the beginning, the curatorship of the installation was entrusted to Luca Beatrice, one of the best-known curators and contemporary art critics in Italy, who passed away last January, and who chose this project because of his idea of remembrance and, at the same time, a look toward the future, beyond the past.
Remembering without being overwhelmed by grief, transforming mourning into hope and the future: this is the heart of the new development, which takes shape in an area of about two thousand meters squared. The area includes majestic adult specimens of Ginkgo Biloba, a plant that synthesises past and future in its sap, a symbol of resilience and longevity. Between the trees is a ramp in the shape of a centrifugal spiral, accompanying the visitor on a 66-meter-long ascending path, enveloped by two wooden balustrades that rise to an overall height of more than five meters: a light, architecturally simple and fully accessible structure resting on pillars with a circular base. An LED-illuminated pathway accompanies the visitor to the top of the installation on the one hand, and on the other, makes it visible even from above, as a distinguishable sign traced in the urban fabric of the city, even in darkness. At the end of the ascent, a telescope with inverted lenses offers an unusual perspective: instead of bringing one closer, it draws one's gaze away, inviting one to look beyond, toward the horizon, beyond the visible, a metaphor for a path of asceticism and approach to heaven.
JUVENTUS PRESIDENT GIANLUCA FERRERO'S WORDS
"The Heysel tragedy still evokes a lot of emotion in all of us today, for the loss of 39 people on a day that should have been filled with celebration, and instead turned into a day of mourning and terror. Juventus, from the very beginning, has always been committed to ensuring that this day is never forgotten. Our memory is manifested concretely every year, on May 29, but also every day, inside our Museum, in our stadium, and from today here, with this monument. Not only that: over the years the Club has developed a culture of non-violence, which also passes through our modern and cutting-edge facilities. We think especially today of the families of the victims of that fateful day, for whom life was literally turned upside down, and a fond memory to the Curator of this work, Luca Beatrice, who passed away prematurely."
Juventus Creator Lab Original "Verso Altrove"
An all-new documentary "Verso Altrove", produced by Juventus Creator Lab, tells the story of the creation of an unprecedented and touching memorial, located in the heart of Continassa, a few steps from the Allianz Stadium. An artwork that not only commemorates but invites those who walk through it to step inside the memory, to look beyond, to question the meaning of collective memory.
The story opens with the voice of Paolo Garimberti, president of the Juventus Museum, who emphasizes the club's desire to keep the memory of the tragedy of May 29, 1985 alive, not with ephemeral words, but with a concrete, shared, and lasting gesture. From here, the idea of a public artwork accessible to all, capable of blending aesthetics, symbolism, and function, takes shape.
The project is led by curator Luca Beatrice, who entrusts the realization to Luca Vitone, a Genoese artist among the most sensitive in the dialogue between art and public space. Vitone conceives "Verso Altrove" as a walkable spiral ramp that rises up to eight meters, crossing a green clearing dotted with specimens of Ginkgo Biloba – trees of resistance, memory, and survival.
The artwork develops on a concrete base, where the spiral rises light but solemn. The flared walls in vertical wooden slats accompany the walk, while a neon light follows the path, making it visible even in the dark. At the end, a telescope with reversed lenses, adjustable in height, symbolically invites to look not at what is near, but at what is far, suggesting a passage from physical space to the inner one.
Through studio shots, moments from the construction site, aerial shots, and monochromatic renders, the documentary follows every phase of the realization of the artwork: from the first concrete pour in December, to the choice of materials in February, to the inspection of the structure in the following April, where the artwork takes its final form.
At the center of the documentary, there is also an intimate and powerful segment on the Heysel tragedy. Garimberti recounts his direct experience of that evening in Brussels. Following this, Fabrizio Landini, nephew of Giovacchino Landini, one of the victims, recalls with lucidity and pain the moment his family received the news, and the seemingly insignificant gesture of his uncle who that day exchanged his ticket with another fan, unknowingly choosing the wrong sector.
Making the documentary even deeper is the presence – last and precious – of curator Luca Beatrice, who passed away shortly after giving his interview. His words, full of vision and humanity, become a cultural and spiritual testament. The Juventus Creator Lab Original closes by celebrating his figure, with respect and gratitude.
"Verso Altrove" is a visual and architectural meditation on mourning and rebirth, an invitation to walk in memory not to stay still, but to look beyond, together. It is public art that speaks softly but leaves a deep mark.
“Verso Altrove” was previewed during the inauguration of the memorial and will be broadcast exclusively on Sky Arte from May 29 at 21:00 CEST, and streamed on NOW.
TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
Artist: Luca Vitone
Curator: Luca Beatrice
Property: Juventus Football Club
Engineering: arch. Corrado Vaschetti - For Engineering Architecture
Location: Strada della Continassa, Turin
Object: public artwork
Inauguration Date: May 29, 2025
Young Artists
Giorgia Achilarre: assistant curator
Alessandro Manfrin: assistant designer
Katia Mosconi: assistant designer
Type of Work: Memorial dedicated to the tragedy of the Heysel Stadium
Shape: pedestrian ramp in the shape of a centrifugal spiral that rises from street level in an upward path until reaching a telescope with inverted lenses at the top, built in an area covered with a grassy lawn enriched with fragrant essences and Ginkgo Biloba trees, and illuminated internally and externally by LED strips that highlight its shape.
Dimensions
- Ramp > width: 1.50 m; length: 66 m; parapet height: 2 m; height from the ground at the top: 5.20 m
- Grassy area > 2,000 sqm
Materials
- Ramp > foundation structures, inside pillars and first ramp: reinforced concrete; pillars, horizontal vertical structure and flooring: galvanized steel; parapet: laminated larch wood
- Lighting > safety lighting and accent light on the Work: CONTINUOUS LED STRIPS; safety lighting ramp entrance: stem lighting fixtures
- Telescope > steel, aluminum
- Illustrative plaque > satin steel
Essences: grass, lavender, ginkgo biloba
Sustainability of Materials: all construction materials and systems are certified to meet the requirements of the Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) in force for public procurement.
