An unprecedented tribute to Ayrton Senna has just been presented at the Interlagos Speedway in São Paulo (SP), on Wednesday (9), the week of the São Paulo Formula 1 GP. Produced by the artist Lalalli Senna, niece of the three-time world champion driver, the artwork made of polished and faceted aluminum is 3.5 meters high, weighs 550 kilos, and is part of the celebrations of 50 years of F1 Grand Prix in Brazil.
The exhibition at Interlagos was attended by Ricardo Nunes, Mayor of São Paulo, and Alan Adler, promoter of the São Paulo Formula 1 GP, among other authorities. The sculpture will be displayed in Sector A, a prime area of the José Carlos Pace Race Track.
The artist Lalalli Senna celebrated the completion of the sculpture and the opportunity to share this moment with the family, remembering the whole period of production and final process of the sculpture. “It is a very special moment to be here in Interlagos and see up close the emotion everyone feels when looking at the work for the first time. This sculpture was a request from my grandmother, Dona Neyde, Ayrton’s mother, and she really liked it. I feel fulfilled to be able to deliver this tribute to everyone who can come to Interlagos, since this work is a gift from the family to Ayrton’s fans and a way to repay the affection we have received for so many years,” says Lalalli.
In February 2023, the work “Nosso Senna” will be inaugurated to the public in great style. The work will gain a phygital touch with several interactive attractions, making the sculpture an even more special meeting point, extending Ayrton Senna’s legacy and message to the city and his fans. From that date on, people will be able to visit the monumental piece, according to the racetrack’s operation.
Through QR-Codes installed near the bust and around it, the public will be able to access videos with more information about the driver, listen to playlists of his favorite songs, and a few other surprises whose details are still kept secret, such as a mini game specially made for the fans who will visit the place.
The artist elaborated the work in polished and faceted aluminum, forming a “multitude of mirrors” so that visitors, when contemplating Senna, see themselves reflected back. “Ayrton was a figure admired by many people, for having represented so well the luminous aspects of Brazil with claw, strength, and winning the right way. My idea is that people also see themselves in his image, as part of this luminous and winning Brazil, because he exists in each one of us. Besides, the public figure of ‘Ayrton Senna of Brazil’ was formed with the affection of the people who cheered for him. And this is reflected in the work. And Ayrton, if he were here, being the person I knew, would certainly be looking back, and returning the affection to all those who gave him so much support for all these years, so somehow the work is here doing this for him as well,” adds Lalalli.
CEO of Senna Brands and Ayrton Senna’s niece, Bianca Senna congratulated her sister Lalalli Senna for the production of the work. “Interlagos is a very special stage for Ayrton’s entire career, it was where he started here next to the kart track and where he achieved his greatest glories in Formula 1, so the sculpture ‘Nosso Senna’ comes to represent everything he did for Brazil and will certainly thrill everyone who passes by here,” says Bianca, remembering Senna’s victories in 1991 and 1993 at the São Paulo circuit.
The creative direction of the project, the exhibition route by artist Lalalli Senna, and its production are signed by Marca Senna in partnership with YDreams Global, under the direction of the Open Sky Museum.
The action is a realization of the Ministry of Tourism, through the Special Secretariat of Culture via the Federal Law for Cultural Incentive (Law No. 8.313/91), with the sponsorship of Visa, support from Grupo GPS, CantuStore, Benedito Abbud Arquitetura, and collaboration from Safra Bank and LK2 Construtora.
