The first edition of the Fabbri Art Award was held in 2005, the year in which the company celebrated its centenary. To celebrate the anniversary, Fabbri invited 28 internationally renowned Italian artists to "play" with the image of the ceramic vase, the undisputed icon of the company.
The theme of the exhibition was therefore the Amarena vase, which the artists had to place at the center of their creations, interpreting it, without distorting its historical image, according to their own style, taste and inclination.
Painters, sculptors, ceramists and photographers were asked to reinterpret the company, creating the works that were to be exhibited at the Fondazione Monte di Bologna from May 30 to June 30, 2005. In reality, given the large number of visitors (over 1000 in the first three weeks), it was extended until July 15, 2005.
The exhibition, curated by Maurizio Sciaccaluga and illustrated by a catalog published by Skira, proved to be an interesting compendium of contemporary Italian art trends.
Moreover, a work created in 1957 by a young Renato Guttuso, testimonial for the Fabbri Carousel "Un pittore alla settimana", was exposed to the public for the first time.