NEW YORK – An international manifesto: the Nerazzurri on the roof of the Rockefeller Center. A look at Inter, through the eyes of artist Fabrizio Ferri, and a look at the United States, through the eyes of Inter, as the club forms ever closer ties with this country. We've always been 'brothers of the world' and today that's what we are here in the States. From the team's involvement in the Guinness International Champions Cup to the club's partnership with Brooks Brothers via the heartbeat of the game – the fans, whose passion for Inter continues to grow.
Fabrizio Ferri is an artist but if you visit his website (www.fabrizioferri.com) 'photography' is the word which stands out. Something we all feel we can do, a simple word, which he has turned into an art form throughout his 40-year career.
Born in Rome in 1952, since 1991 he has spent much of his time in New York. And it was here, on the roof of the Rockefeller Center, at the 'Top of the Rock', that he created his portrait of Inter.
Ferri and Inter, two international names which remain firmly rooted in Italy. Like Inter, Ferri has a big trophy haul of his own – his portfolio, formed by the photos and campaigns he's created using the experience and sensitivity of someone who's absorbed the energy of New York. "An amazing observatory where you can look at and love Italy," as he explains in the interview he gave to inter.it.
Fabrizio Ferri, you were born in 1952, a Roman, into a generation which saw the Grande Inter team of the sixties. What do you remember?
"I don't support any team but I've always been fascinated by goals. I find it an amazing gesture, and I've always liked Giacinto Facchetti. He had it all: a defender who could score goals, covered every blade of grass and did it with style. His actions, his expressions, the way he moved his body: Giacinto Facchetti brought nobility to football."
This is the first time you've photographed a team.
"It's the first time I've approached the world of football – and a team – as a photographer. The only difference between shooting an individual and shooting a group is the distance between you and your subjects. It means you have to find even more energy than normal to keep everyone's attention. That's when you need to use your charisma. You have to be determined and kind at the same time."
You live in New York and love your homeland Italy, while Inter is international by its very nature but plays in Italy. Almost two parallel stories.
"Yes, they certainly are. I've always thought that New York is an amazing observatory where you can look at and love Italy. From the outside you understand what the best things are, and seeing this iconic team in New York gives me the idea of something that can bring more energy both to football and to Italy."
Is there a message in this image?
"From the Top of The Rock you have the best panoramic view of New York. I brought them here to obtain a symbolic image, almost a manifesto."
You've done some magnificent campaigns and photographed some incredible beauty. In all honesty, what's Inter got to do with all that?
"It's got a lot to do with it, for two reasons. The first is to do with me as a photographer. Authenticity has always been an important part of my style. I put very little of myself and a lot of the subject into the photos I shoot. I can sense a certain truth in Inter and in football – sport is authentic. When the whistle blows at the start, either there's a game or there's not. The second is to do with the team. I know exactly when I became a photographer and I have a clear image of it: it was in 1982, when I realised the value of my own team and the fact that I was the catalyst. That's when I discovered the meaning of my work."
Is there a moment for the 'right' shot?
"The moment exists in the photographer's heart. The moment is in front of your lens, there's a moment when what you have before you communicates, a moment of emotion and you shoot it with the sole aim of sharing the emotion of that moment with others. You have to see it and feel it. You know what? I don't take many pictures: I work with just one or two frames."
You can see the backstage video put together by Inter Channel on inter.it as we wait for the artist to present his images to the world - images which will accompany us throughout the season.
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TOUR AMERICA 2013 - INTER AL ROCKEFELLER CENTER
