Art that immortalizes speed: 'Le Pieghe' is the artwork commemorating Luca Salvadori

A visceral and complex work of art, a unicum that, rejecting the sterile idea of mythologizing, aims to transform inert matter into a living presence. An interweaving of symbolism and references to the life of Luca Salvadori to preserve his presence without rhetoric. This and much more is “Le Pieghe,” the monumental sculpture created by internationally renowned artist Nicola Samorì in memory of the rider and YouTuber who passed away two years ago. An initiative promoted by the Fondazione Luca Salvadori, founded by his father Maurizio, and made possible by a donation from the latter to the Municipality of Milan.

At the pre-inauguration press conference at the Palazzina Appiani in Milan, attended—alongside the artist—by Demetrio Paparoni, art critic and publisher, and Marco Mazzei, Councillor for Public Space of the Municipality of Milan, the focus was placed on the exceptional nature and boldness of the work. Far from stereotypical forms, the sculpture tackles the theme of movement in a way that is unprecedented for Samorì. The piece is based on a calibrated contrast between the rigidity of metal and the dynamism of the design. The body at the top of the sculpture, inspired by the features of the late rider but not a cast of him, is partially hollowed out and “bent almost to the breaking point.” The “S” shape of the sculpture recalls the spot in Milan where Maurizio Salvadori wanted the work to be installed: the curves on Viale Pierre e Marie Curie known as “the Twins,” where Luca began taking his first leans on a motorcycle.

Inside the sculpture are integrated iconographic and technical elements from Luca’s life. His racing suit is fused into the material as if it were a second skin, together with mechanical components and the outlines of the motorcycle. Motorcyclists can recognize the anatomy of the lean, as well as the connection with the Twins and, more broadly, with Milan.

Nicola Samorì, with great humility, described his approach to the project: «I don’t ride motorcycles, I don’t have a license for speed. When I was called, I had to ask myself what I could do in the face of a paradox: how to make monumental, immobile, and stable something that is born for speed and continuous movement?». The answer lies in the very structure of the work: the sculpture compels the viewer to walk around it. There is no single point of view. To understand its forms and details, one must move in a circle, establishing an active dynamic between the observer and the material. A perspective that opens to the future, to continuous motion, in memory of what Luca was and continues to be for hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists and enthusiasts.

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