F1 | “Magic. Ayrton Senna”: the Orsi and Lazzari exhibition in Imola

It's an event not to be missed: even if Easter will be rainy and maybe you decide to stay at home, why not make a trip to Imola? The exhibition “MAGIC. Ayrton Senna – Imola 1994-2024. Photographs by Angelo Orsi and Mirco Lazzari” is worth a visit. It was set up at the San Domenico Museum (via Sacchi, 4) and was inaugurated on March 21st: not a random date, given that it was the 64th anniversary of the birth of the Brazilian champion.

This review of black-white images opens the events of “Senna 30 Years” that the Municipality of Imola and more generally the Emilia Romagna Region wanted to pay tribute to remember the three decades that separate us from the tragic death of Ayrton in that cursed 1 May 1994, during the San Marino GP.

Angelo Orsi during the presentation of the exhibition in Imola dedicated to Ayrton Senna

Photo by: Mirco Lazzari

The exhibition itinerary was designed to discover in depth not so much the champion Senna, but Ayrton the man. Images give emotions, because… they speak. Each visitor can find their own piece of “Magic”, as they have always seen the Brazilian, but will almost certainly be amazed to discover facets of a multifaceted character, not necessarily known to the general public.

To bring out certain nuances, which go beyond the myth, two photographers, two aesthetes of the image, were not enough. There are many professional and trained “clicmen”. In this very special exhibition, however, the friend emerges. Angelo Orsi was not only the photojournalist for Autosprint who reported on Formula 1 for the Conti Editore weekly. He was also Ayrton's confidant, the one who knew how to collect sensations, emotions, joys and outbursts even outside of the Circus.

“Magic” the photographic exhibition by Angelo Orsi and Mirko Lazzari on Ayrton Senna

Photo by: Mirco Lazzari

And so, by going through the series of images, some complicities are also discovered: Angelo portraying Ayrton, but also the Brazilian looking for the photographer. Maybe there were many others next to Orsi, but “Beco” had his eyes focused only on the tall man from Bologna.

The shots chosen with obsessive care by Mirco Lazzari do not tell the story of a career, but reveal a man. There is no colour, but a common denominator which is light and dark. The light and shadows highlight portraits, glances and epic moments of a story that ended tragically too soon. And it is no coincidence that there are 94 photographs on display to seal that 1994, a year that represented a watershed with modern F1.

The exhibition will remain open until June 2nd. For Easter and Easter Monday, 25 April and 1 May, holiday hours will be observed from 10am to 1pm and from 3pm to 7pm, while on Fridays there will only be afternoon hours from 3pm to 7pm. Special opening hours are also planned from 6pm to 10pm for Thursday 18 April, Tuesday 30 April, Thursday 2 May and Thursday 16 May.