Honoring Italian Heritage: Sara Trovato’s Design of the Misano E-Prix Poster
The 2024 Misano E-Prix marks a new milestone as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship ventures to the Adriatic coast for the first time with doubleheader at the the renowned Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. As Andretti Formula E embraces this new venue, they continue the tradition of collaborating with local artists to craft a race poster that embodies the essence of each city’s culture. Sara Trovato, an Italian creative designer, brings her unique perspective to capture the spirit of this new race through her graphic design skill and methods of self-teaching and experimentation. Sara’s poster reflects her deep connection to Italian culture, incorporating iconic symbols like the oak tree honoring Marco Simoncelli and the historic Portici of Bologna. As a motorsport enthusiast, Sara’s collaboration with Andretti Formula E merges her love for design with her admiration for racing, culminating in a design that captures the essence of Emilia Romagna’s rich heritage and the excitement of the upcoming race in Misano.
Tell us about yourself – where are you from, what do you do?
I’m Sara Trovato and I’m currently a student in Advanced Service Design in Bologna. For the last two years, Emilia Romagna has hosted me in her land, but my origins are from Southern Italy, specifically Calabria. I have a degree in Graphic Design, but I decided to continue my studies in Service Design to be able to contribute to creating solutions that can improve our way of life and that lead us to build better futures. I don’t consider myself an artist, because I haven’t studied specific techniques or the profession specifically. I prefer to refer to myself as someone who is self-taught and wants to experiment.
What do you enjoy about being a creative designer?
For me, being a creative person and being a designer are two separate worlds, which sometimes do come together. On the one hand, with drawing and art, I improve my creativity, and on the other, with study and research, I can explore my designer side. Drawing for me means finding my way to relax and give peace to my mind. It’s more of a flow of thoughts from my head and my heart which guides me toward the solution which, looking at it, gives me relief. Designing, on the other hand, means training my mind to look beyond the first glance. For me, it’s about understanding the element that makes the difference, understanding how I can be useful to the world and learning to listen to those around you.
We chose you and your work to represent Italy – what does being Italian mean to you?
Being Italian means having passion, love and a bit of madness for life. It means always feeling emotions very strongly, whether positive or negative. It’s about the love of your land, from the first to the last centimeter, and to never stop exalting it. It means being aware that wherever you go, you will walk through the history and life of people who walked those same lands before you. Being Italian means always having a home in the world, because wherever you are, when you meet an Italian, it will be as if you have always known them. For me, it means being kind, polite and respecting what surrounds you, always, because these are important values for my family.
Do you like motorsport? What does it mean to work with the Andretti team?
I am a huge fan of the world of motorsport. Since I was a child, I have followed MotoGP with my family, and then I started following Formula 1, which is currently the sport I follow the most. Having a strong sensitivity for
environmental sustainability, I look at Formula E with interest, precisely because of its revolutionary nature. I am honored for this opportunity with the Andretti team. You were the first to believe in my abilities by involving me with this official job, and for this, I can never thank you enough. Working with you was truly a pleasure and allowed me to broaden my knowledge and overcome my limits. For that, I thank you!
What was your design process for this poster?
As always, my creation processes are made up of many tests at different levels of quality. I like to start with quick sketches on paper that allow me to see ideas become reality. When I switch to the digital process, I always revolutionize everything. I create the balances that convince me the most and I let myself be guided by the colors that take shape on the screen. Then the rest is chaos, happiness and personal satisfaction of seeing the elements take shape whilst creating harmony between them.
Talk to us about the poster design – why did you include those colors and elements?
The intention was to combine what, for me, identifies this region compared to the others, and elements that identify Misano and Romagna. I immediately wanted to insert a symbol that recalled the Italian motorcycle racer who died prematurely, Marco Simoncelli. A symbol of a person who identifies this territory for both his personality and his essence linked to the passion for motors. That’s why I decided to include the oak tree that was planted in the circuit in honor of him.
On the other hand, I wanted to find architecture that defined the territory, but there were too many to include them all! I therefore chose to represent the Portici, a symbol that is present in almost all the cities and villages of the area, but specifically those of Bologna, recognized as a UNESCO heritage site that is rich in a fascinating history due to their uniqueness. The other symbol is the column of Bertinoro’s hospitality, which tells a beautiful legend that defines the hospitality of the people of Romagna. Finally, I wanted to harmonize the elements with the car, using the Team palette to insert elements of the circuit. Additionally, I love sunsets so I couldn’t resist adding some shades to the sky.
For Andretti Formula E fans visiting Misano and Bologna for this race, what places should they visit and what food should they eat?
Unfortunately, I don’t personally know Misano, but I can recommend visiting the Torre degli Asinelli in Bologna which has a beautiful view of the city. I’d also recommend the very long portico of San Luca, which can be very useful for keeping active. After a nice walk, you need to recover with a good meal. Where to start? It’s definitely worth trying a good Piada, Mortadella di Bologna, Lasagna or a good plate of Tagliatelle al Ragù; or even the cold cuts platters which, depending on the area, is called crescentina/gnocco fritto/torta fritta. It’s always delicious and is worth trying.
We extend our deepest gratitude to Sara Trovato for her exceptional visualization of our Misano E-Prix race poster, brilliantly capturing the essence of Italian heritage. For a deeper dive into Sara’s creative process, we invite you to explore her work on her social channels:
Instagram: @sara.found // X: @sarafound1
As Andretti Formula E duo Jake Dennis and Norman Nato prepare to tackle the first races of the European leg of the season on April 13 and 14, be sure to tune in to witness the electrifying action unfold at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
